The Pull That Exists Between Us - COMPLETE
by PP-FSOG-DJC
Summary: After being knocked unconscious by a rearing mare, Darcy wakes up to find a mysterious creature, whom he immediately falls in love with, gazing down upon him. Trouble is, she runs off without giving her name and the only thing he has to go on is a monogram on a hip flask. Can he find her? & more importantly, can he make her love him? OOC, AU, Historically Inaccurate :p Lemons.
1. You are Potamide, are you not?

In July of the year 1811, a small country estate, known as Netherfield Hall, was let to a gentleman of two and twenty. The folk around were not slow to take up gossips of such a fine man, whom by all accounts, was worth at least five thousand a year. All eyes were eagerly waiting his arrival, especially the mothers of daughters, who were yet to wed.

 **15th July 1811**

"Bingley, do you still intend to show an appearance at the town's Assembly tomorrow? I am sure it will be full of country folk with little beauty and no fashion, very dull indeed," Darcy huffed, hoping his friend would have changed his mind and therefore by default, he would not need to bother.

"Yes, I wish to see what is on offer," he smirked, hoping for a bit of frill.

"You amaze me! You are always thinking of the ladies. You need to find a wife and settle down, now that you have leased this house. It needs a proper mistress, rather than have your sister host for you," he stated, but paused as he became consumed in his own thoughts. "Talking of which, I do have something that I wish to discuss with you, it is of great importance," Darcy said hesitantly, as he was not sure if he should approach his dear friend on the subject, at that particular moment.

"What's up Darcy? You suddenly look like you have the world on your shoulders," Bingley observed, now seeing the deep frown that had formed on Darcy's brow.

"I have been thinking a great deal over the past few months, about where my life is going. I cannot deny the fact that it is about time that I, myself, should settle down and take a wife.

"You know that London society does nothing for me, I only tolerate it because I am expected to attend certain functions, once in a while and people will think I am either ill or dead, if I do not attend Almack's at least once in a season. There is also the matter of the ladies, if I have to put up with another daughter's mother, trying to have her offspring compromised, I will go insane."

"Ha! They do flock around you like bees to a honey pot. I blame your worth," Bingley chuckled.

"Yes, but I can do nothing about that. So," Darcy said, as he took a deep breath, "I am considering your sister." To say Bingley was dumbfounded was an understatement, for he could not muster a word from his lips for nay on five minutes. "I seem to have struck you speechless," Darcy stated, now concerned that his idea was not a good one.

"Just a little… Darcy, you must be mad. Do you realise what you have just said? You are considering my sister for your wife?" Bingley said, questioning his friend's sanity.

"Yes, I am almost nine and twenty and before you know it, I would have reached my thirtieth year and beyond."

"But my sister?" Bingley questioned again, still not understanding his friend's logic.

"I know your sister, she has not let it go unnoticed that she has had her eye on me for some time, I could do worse."

" _Yes, and you could do better,"_ Bingley said with more than a hint of sarcasm.

"But I have not found anyone tolerable enough to turn my head in such a way, what am I to do? Wait until I am sixty years old, with a walking stick? By that time I will probably be unable to perform those duties required to produce an heir.

"Your sister is not an unattractive woman and she seems of strong stock. I am sure she will be capable of doing her wifely duties without complaint and produce an heir or two and in return, she will live her life in complete luxury and not want for anything."

"She will not want for anything, but what about you? What if Caroline only gives you pleasures when you wish to have children and she locks her doors at all other times. I know you Darcy, you are hot blooded like the rest of us, do you anticipate on keeping a mistress as well?"

"No, that will not happen if I am to marry, I will expect my wife's door to be open regardless of her situation. I no longer visit Rose, have not done for months now. I wanted to detach myself from any form of activity, so that I could think long and hard about my future."

"Really? I wish I knew, I would have picked her up and looked after her," he smirked. "You know she is in high demand, what with being a pretty thing and the fact that in the past eight years, none of her five lovers have left her with issue, so you were onto a good one there, for your relief."

"She did adequately at the time, but I had to finish our arrangement, so that she did not distract my thoughts. I believe she is already taken with Viscount Hamilton, they were seen together a week after we parted."

"Gosh! It did not take her long, I suppose being a kept woman meant she had to move onto someone quick."

"So, now that is cleared up, do I have your blessing… if I were to ask her?"

"Do you need my blessing?"

"No, but I would like to have it all the same."

"Then go to it, but be it on your head, if things turn pear-shaped," Bingley warned.

* * *

 **16th July 1811**

Darcy woke early the following morning, his sleep had been erratic over the previous two weeks and insomnia had hit him hard, stealing him of his much needed slumber. There was no point in trying to get back to sleep, for it would prove a wasted effort on his part, so instead of just lying in bed, staring at the canopy of his bed, he decided to ready himself for the day.

As he sat at the breakfast table alone, his mind wondered to the great outdoors. His own estate was in the depths of Derbyshire, an area boasting of the most finest woods in the country and nothing could compare to the wild and untamed beauty of its peaks. He sat and thought about what Hertfordshire had to offer, past an unvarying society and small country balls, _I shall go for a ride and see for myself what has drawn Bingley to this place, for there must be something beyond what I have seen so far,_ he thought.

He could not see anything of great beauty, as he rode along one of the country pathways, for it seemed as any other southern county, flat and levelled in comparison to his homeland. As he rode, his mind drifted to the conversation he had had with his friend, the night before. As he contemplated on what had been discussed, he began to wonder if he was doing the right thing, was it desperation that led him to that particular choice in a wife? Miss Bingley was not, by any means, unattractive and he could easily see himself in the role as husband to her, as and when the time demanded it, but was that the life he wanted? To only bed a woman to produce an heir and for no other reason. Then he remembered his words to Bingley about not taking a mistress. Rose had been a constant in his life for best part of a year and he had been very content with their unions, but she did nothing for him beyond a weekly release of his pent up frustrations. Would Miss Bingley fulfil more than a mistress would? Could she entertain him in a way that not only satisfied his carnal lust, but his mind? She had enough conversation, but it was not of subjects he wished to talk about, for her ideas of good conversation amounted to London society, fashion and gossip. Also, her temperament was questionable and was not of his liking. She had clung to every word he spoke for the previous four years, a trait he found quite common amongst the ' _gentle ladies'_ of London society. Her temper was rather sharp and aggressive towards the lower classes, which he abhorred. _Could she be mistress of Pemberley?_ he pondered, _would her behaviour soften, once I have taken her to the marriage bed and more importantly, would she allow me to bed her when I chose?_

As he was contemplating this, a squirrel trespassed across the horses path, making it rear. Darcy was distracted, due to his thoughts, so his reaction was slow and he was thrown from the animal, landing on his back, with a thud. Trying to sit, he was flung back to the ground again and knocked unconscious by a rock, which had ricocheted from the horses skirmish.

Elizabeth Bennet was a gentlewoman of twenty, who lived but three miles from Netherfield Hall. Her early morning walks were her favourite time of the day, as they allowed her some much deserved peace from the chaos of her home. Her three silly sisters and an insufferable mother, did nothing for a peaceful existence and the only amount of calm she was able to find, was during her extensive rambling across the land.

As she walked, her mind filled with thoughts of the assembly, that was to take place that evening. She had heard that the new tenant of Netherfield Hall was to be attending, something her mother was most happy about, as it would allow for introductions to be made to all of her daughters. Elizabeth was glad that the large estate was finally occupied, as it had stood empty for quite some time. The new owner was therefore beneficial to the neighbourhood, whatever his intentions were.

As she walked further along the path, she became preoccupied with the summer sun and the delightful flowers that grew wild in the meadows. She picked some blooms and placed them into her hair, which had become rather windswept during her leisurely walk. Whilst paying no particular notice to her route, she came upon an odd sight in front of her, for she saw a bridled horse standing to one side of the woods. _What on earth is a horse doing out this far from the lane? Where is its owner?_ she puzzled.

As she walked towards the animal, she noticed a foot appear from behind a hedge, making her freeze. She stood momentarily, worried that the person connected to the said foot was dead, but her courage rose and she was able to move herself forward, in order to examine the situation.

Moving closer, she gasped at the sight in front of her. She could see that he had fallen from his horse and was now laying unconscious. "Sir, you need to wake!" Elizabeth commenced. She surmised that it could not have been long, for the horse still seemed agitated. Ignoring the beast, she knelt beside the still body and pulled out her father's flask, which she had previously filled with water. Splashing a small amount onto the gentleman's face, she hoped it would bring him around. "Sir!" she said once more.

She did not recognise him, but knew that the man who lay before her was not Mr Bingley, for she had been told by the gossips that the new tenant was of fair complexion, a far cry from the stranger's dark features.

As she continued to splash water onto him, Darcy was beginning to sense his surroundings. His mind was still foggy, but he knew that there was someone close by, begging him to awaken. _Lord! What has happened? Is it raining? I can hear a woman's voice, such a delightful sound,_ he thought. As he began to stir, Elizabeth could do nothing but bid him to awaken. As he opened his eyes, he tried to focus on the vision in front of him, for all he could see was a water nymph peering down at him. "You are Potamide, are you not?" he whispered, "Please… I beg of you, do not draw me into the waters."

Elizabeth could not comprehend what the gentleman meant by this, for she knew Potamides were a species of water nymphs, who were to be found by brooks and streams, but there was no body of water for at least a mile. "Sir, you are mistaken, for I am no water nymph," she stated.

"But my face is wet?" Darcy said.

Elizabeth laughed, "I only splashed you with the contents of my flask, so that it may help you to stir. I think it did the trick, although you do seem rather confused," she sighed.

"I am not confused, dear creature," he confirmed, as he took in her loveliness, "I am, however, bewitched by the sight of you and therefore can only conclude that you must be a magical being. If not a nymph, then maybe a deity? Or even a goddess? For such unblemished beauty cannot be found in amongst us mere mortal humans, that I am sure. I have searched this earth for such and have not been satisfied with my findings."

"I believe sir, that you have been temporarily maddened by a blow to your head, for I can assure you, that I am very human and have many faults," she said shyly. To even consider her as beautiful, must be a result of an injury, for had her mother not cemented the idea that she only showed a trace of beauty, compared to that of her elder sister.

Darcy could not take his eyes from her, however, he allowed his gaze to wander about her face and noticed her hair. "You have picked flowers," he said, as he brought his hand up to move her stray tresses from her face. "So lovely," he added, as the tips of his fingers glided down her cheek and onto her throat, making Elizabeth gasp at the gentleness of his touch. She knew that it was not proper for such a stranger to be acting as he was, but for some reason, Elizabeth could not move herself away from him.

As they regarded each other, she thought him very handsome. His almost black eyes were pleading with her, beckoning her forward. She found herself caught up in his hypnotic energy and before she knew it, he had kissed her, tenderly upon the lips. "Your lips are so soft," he breathed. Elizabeth could feel his lips move across her face, where he planted another soft caress upon her cheek and continued a pathway down her neck, where he noticed a pretty little freckle and placed a soft kiss upon it. He then traversed down onto her throat and bosom, where she whimpered her reaction to such a dangerous, yet concupiscent act.

Panic struck, as she regained a degree of common sense and pulled away abruptly. "Sir, that will not do, you have not acted as you should," she breathed heavily, trying to get back some sort of normality to her comportment.

"Forgive me, I am not being myself, I must be under some sort of spell, you have place upon me."

"I think it is either the bump on your head has affected you, or you are indeed a libertine," she said abruptly.

"I am no libertine, only a gentleman struck by some magical spell."

Elizabeth was about to disagree with him, when she heard the sound of horse hooves approaching. Now panicked at the fact that she would be found alone with a strange man, she realised she needed to leave the scene, "I have to go, I cannot stay!"

"No, please do not go. I do not even know your name. Please… at least give me the knowledge as to whom I have fallen in love with."

"No sir, you are delusional, you are not thinking straight," she said in a panicked flurry, before running off into the woods.

Bingley and his sister were having breakfast at Netherfield, whilst Darcy had taken to riding the countryside.

He had the previous night's conversation with Darcy, swimming about in his head. The notion of his friend's decision played on him greatly, so much so, that he had to share it with his sister, for fear of drowning in his thoughts. "Caroline, something came to my understanding last night that affects you."

"Oh, did it brother? What is it?" she asked.

"Darcy mentioned that he may propose marriage to you," he said, without a thought of how his loose tongue could cause an issue.

"He said what?" Caroline beamed. "Mr Darcy talked to you of marriage… to me?"

"Yes, he has apparently been considering it for a few months now," Bingley said, as he tucked into his eggs. "You cannot, however, let him know that I have told you, for he did not give me leave to divulge any of this to you, but I could not help but say. You know I cannot keep anything secret from you, for long."

"So, when do you think he will ask for a private audience?" she said, "Do you think it will be today?"

"I do not know, I am not sure he has made up his mind completely, but he did mention he had been considering it seriously for quite some time. So cannot see how he can retract from his own thoughts now."

Caroline was beside herself, for she had wished… longed for this day to come. Although, she had ensured that Mr Darcy knew fully of her feelings, she did not know if he had ever reciprocated them. _So, Mr Darcy loves me?_ she thought.

Bingley finished his breakfast quickly and made his excuses to his sister, saying that he needed to ride the grounds. Caroline was too happy, deep in her thoughts, to even worry about what her brother was up to. She needed to return to her bedchambers in order to make a better effort with her appearance, for Darcy's sake, _maybe I will change into the orange silk dress with peacock feathers,_ she pondered.

As Bingley rode along the lane, blissfully ignorant of his faux pas he had just made, he noticed Darcy's horse in the distance. Picking up speed, he reached the mare in less than a minute and jumped down to tend to the untethered animal, which still looked agitated. As he did, he heard Darcy call out to him.

"Darce! Whatever has happened?" Bingley cried out, as he ran over to where his friend was lying.

"The horse reared and I fell, then… then the most wonderful thing happened," he beamed.

"What happened?" Bingley said curiously.

"I saw a vision, a wonderful vision of the most beautiful creature. I assumed she was not real, but she insisted that she was indeed human."

"I think you have hit your head, I can see the bruise from here," Bingley exclaimed.

"No, she was here, look!" Darcy said as he picked up the flask that Elizabeth had left behind and a small sprig of Baby's-breath that had fallen from her hair.

"T.B.? Who is that?" Bingley said, looking at the flask.

"I do not know, does it have a monogram?" he asked, as he place the flower into his booklet.

"Yes, but enough of that, we need to get you back to the house, so the doctor can look at you."

"I am fine, just get me to my feet," Darcy mumbled as he struggled to get up.


	2. The Chilling Cries of Frustration

There is a dream sequence in this chapter, indicated with italics.

* * *

Doctor Simpkins was called and after his examination of Darcy's head, he advised him to remain in bed for the rest of the day. The knock did not break the skin, however, it did leave a rather large lump, accompanied by a very fierce looking bruise. This meant that he was unable to accompany Bingley and his sister to the local assembly that evening, which he found very gratifying.

"Darcy, I can stay if you like, I do not have to attend," Bingley stated.

"No, go to your dance Bingley, you have been looking forward to it for some days. I will not rob you of your enjoyment with such a trifling injury. I will try and get some sleep, lord knows I need it," he sighed.

The assembly was in the peak of activity, when the new tenants entered the assembly hall. As Bingley looked around for a familiar face, he noticed all eyes were upon him, eager to see what the young man looked like. A mass of feminine whispers filled the room, as mothers passed on their reactions to their daughters, whom in return sighed their impressions of the young gentleman, for surely half the room were giddy by his presence.

Luckily, it was only a matter of a minute before Sir William Lucas was directly by their side and stayed in attendance during the start of the evening, in order to ensure introductions were made to as many of the families as possible, including the Bennets. "So Mr Bingley, you live with your sister at Netherfield? There are no other members of your party?" Mrs Bennet asked, eager for information on the remainder of the household.

"There is one other, my friend, although he is not well this evening, so could not accompany myself and Miss Bingley," he said as his eyes wandered about the room, but settled immediately on the eldest Miss Bennet. "So you have five daughters, Mrs Bennet?"

"Yes, Jane and Lizzy are dancing, Mary is somewhere but probably sulking, as she wished to play the pianoforte tonight and her papa forbid it, just before he left for Bath this morning. My youngest two are over there," she said, pointing in the direction of two giggling youngsters.

"What a delightful family you have. I hope Mr Bennet is well, for I had met him a few days ago, when he called," Bingley stated, as he continued to eye the oldest Miss Bennet, who was dancing so elegantly with the butcher's son.

"Yes, it is only his gout, it is playing him up somewhat at the moment, so he thought he would take the waters… So Mr Bingley, do you intend to stay long in Hertfordshire?" Mrs Bennet asked, hoping to keep him in discourse until her two eldest offspring finished their dance.

"Yes, at least for the winter and spring months. I may go to London for the season, but that is not cut in stone yet."

"And what of your friend, Mr …." Mrs Bennet asked, but did not know his name.

"Darcy, Mr Darcy. I do not know his movements. He has not said how long he is planning to stay, however, he has no set timetable to leave either," he chuckled.

At that moment, the music stopped to indicate the finish of the dance. Elizabeth came over to her mother, who was eager to introduce each of her daughters to Mr Bingley. "Mr Bingley, I would like to introduce my second eldest, Miss Elizabeth. Elizabeth, this is Mr Bingley, you know… the new tenant of Netherfield Hall."

"Delighted to make your acquaintance, Mr Bingley," Elizabeth said, as they bowed and curtsied to each other. "I do hope you are finding the countryside pleasant enough for your pursuits."

"Yes indeed Miss Elizabeth, I understand that hunting will be of great enjoyment, as I am led to believe that this particular part of the countryside has a bountiful of coveys, waiting for me to aim my rifle at."

"Yes, Partridge is pretty common to these parts, and quail is not a rare sighting."

"I am sure I will end up shooting more than I can manage to eat," Bingley confessed, but stopped when Jane came to join them.

Mrs Bennet did not miss the change in his countenance, as her eldest daughter approached, for if he was not in a merry temperament before, he was surely ecstatic now. Mrs Bennet repeated the introductions and smiled as she looked at Mr Bingley, for he was much taken with her. "I am delighted to meet you, Miss Bennet. May I have the next dance?" he said to Mrs Bennet's delight.

"I would be honoured, sir, I can confirm that the next dance has not been taken." As the music started, Bingley quickly offered his arm and escorted Jane to the floor. Mrs Bennet was so delighted that he had singled out Jane as a dance partner, as soon as he saw her.

Bingley returned to Netherfield Hall with his sister, who had found the whole evening a waste of time. Bingley, however, was all consumed with the delights of Miss Bennet. As he lay in bed, he found that sleep was not forthcoming, as his thoughts were consumed with the desirable lady. _What an absolute angel, such a delicate morsel,_ he thought, _I must get to know her better._ He finally drifted off with a big grin on his face, hoping that it would not be long, before their paths crossed again.

A few rooms along the corridor, Darcy was in much of the same state, but his thoughts were filled with the delights of the creature that had come to his aid that morning. From the intensity of her dark brown eyes peering down at him, to the delicate flowers in her windswept hair. His mind also wandered to how she was dressed, for the gown she wore was of a summer weight, but the crisp morning air was chilled. A delicious combination proved her to appear rather cold, or was she aroused? Her pert nipples had imprinted themselves upon the bodice of her dress and he was sure she could feel their presence, as they rubbed themselves against the sheer fabric. He then realised that her bosoms must have spilt over the top of her stays for them to show in such a way, the notion of this immediately awoke his boy.

"Oh God!" he murmured, "why does she affect me so," he hissed as he stroked the length of his cock. He closed his eyes and imagined her above him, as she had that morning, but his muse distorted the reality and before he knew it, she was atop of him, straddling him, eager to fulfil his desires. He spat into his palm and lubricated himself, so that he could imagine her wet walls surrounding his yard, as he continued to stroke, he thought of her bosoms bouncing in the confines of her dress, her nipples peering out from the top of her low cut bodice. In his mind, her nipples were hard and the surrounding areola was bumpy as he took them into his mouth, suckling on them and flicking her hardened buds with his tongue. The thought of her wetness dripping onto his lap made him finally come hard, shooting his load into the air, only to land on his thighs. "Heaven forbid! Is this the doing of such a delectable creature, or is it that I have not had the attentions of a woman for so long," he thought aloud.

"So Jane, I take it you find Mr Bingley _intriguing?_ " Elizabeth teased, as she lay on the bed in her sister's bedchambers.

"Lizzy, I know what you mean by _intriguing,"_ she laughed, "Yes, he does _intrigue_ me very much, for I have never seen such an _intriguing_ man before," she giggled.

"I could see that you both found each other as equally so."

"Lizzy, do you think he finds me _intriguing?_ " Jane asked.

"Jane," Elizabeth frowned, "who would not think you attractive," she said, now abandoning the code word, "there is no one in this county, who surpasses your beauty and no man who cannot stop his head from turning, as you walk by."

"Then why do those men not approach me in that way?" Jane puzzled, "I am one and twenty, nearly into my next year, and still no suitors come knocking at Longbourn's door."

"Because, dear sister, they are too scared that you will send them away with a flee in their ear. No man wishes to be turned down and I fear that most do not think you would give them a second look. I would suggest you encourage Mr Bingley more than you wish, so that he gets the message, loud and clear," she laughed.

"Lizzy! I cannot do that! That would show a total lack of propriety and I do not wish to come across as a needy woman."

"Do it in a subtle way, there is a fine line between gentle seduction, which a man will not realise is happening on a conscious level and pure wantonness."

"And who is this giving me such advice? Telling me all this? Does she have experience in such matters?"

"No, of course not, I read it in one of father's books," Elizabeth said, now blushing. "You know full well sister, that I do not encourage suitors, for I fear they will run a mile, when I have to admit to what happened to me last year."

"But Lizzy, it was an accident, it is not as if you lost your virtue," Jane soothed.

"How am I to prove it though," she fidgeted, "I cannot marry and then have my husband discover on our wedding night that my barrier is absent, I would have to explain before hand. If any man was to show interest and wish to court me and then be told of my curse, it would be very unlikely that they would stick around," she sighed, "it is just easier to not entertain the idea in the first place."

"So you are telling me that if you found your soul mate, you would ignore him?"

"I would have to, for my own sake. I will live out my life teaching your ten children to play the pianoforte ill indeed and die an old maid, all alone by the fireside," she chuckled. Jane, however, had heard all this before and wished that her sister had more confidence in men and their reaction to her situation, for she did not have the monopoly on her present state.

* * *

 **17th July 1811**

Darcy woke from a restless night, for his dreams were filled with the mysterious siren and his bedding proved that he had reacted several times to those visions. _Was she real? Did I really see her or was she just an hallucination from the fall?_ he thought, but that notion soon dissipated as he gazed upon the silver flask, he had placed on his bedside table.

 _I need to find out who she is, I cannot go through life not knowing,_ he pondered. _Could she be my mate for life? Is she the one?_

His head sank into his hands, as he tried to make sense of it all. _Why would a young lady be out in such a remote spot, that time in the morning? It does not make sense._

As the gentlemen sat down for an early breakfast, Bingley noticed his friends solemn demeanour. "Darcy, what is the matter, is your head still giving you pain? Should I call the doctor back?"

"No, I had a sleepless night, but it was not due to my injuries," he sighed. "You remember the woman I told you about yesterday? I cannot get her out of my mind. When I woke, she was there, watching me in such a way, as if she was wishing a spell upon me. I have not been able to think of anything but her, since that moment. I am now wondering if she is the one."

"The one?" Bingley said, confused.

"You know, 'the one'… the person that I am destined for, my soul mate," he said, staring at his friend. "In an instant, my heart was so full of want… No! No!" he spluttered, trying to correct himself, "it was not just that, it was filled with emotion, something that I have never felt before."

"Do not be so silly Darcy, you do not know her, she could be a lowly fisherman's wife, for all you know."

"What?" he snorted, "Out in the countryside? It is not as if we are anywhere near a coast. Besides, there was no ring and the way she spoke and her clothes showed her to be a gentle woman, although I did think at the time she was a nymph."

"So, What are you going to do? You cannot go knocking on every door you come across in an attempt to find her."

"I know I cannot, I do not know what to do. Did you meet any ladies at the Ball with the initials TB?" he sighed.

"No, not at all," Bingley pondered on the many ladies he had been introduced to, but none had the same initials, and then remembered what he had disclosed to his sister. "What about Caroline?"

"What about her? If you mean my marrying her, I cannot go through with that now. It was only a thought at the time and I had not yet made up my mind completely. However, now I have seen… met someone, who has affected me so, I cannot possibly tie myself to another. Sorry Bingley, for putting you in such a position, but I did say I was only considering it."

 _Shit! What have I done?_ Bingley thought. He sat there, not knowing what to think or do, for he had already divulged the conversation from two nights previous to his sister, who was now anticipating the question. _Caroline is going to kill me, when she finds out._ His thoughts concluded on such that he would say nothing more, hopefully Miss Bingley would eventually give up hope, after experiencing only Darcy's silence on the matter.

Darcy needed a distraction after his long ride across the countryside. Having been in Hertfordshire for little over a week, he felt the need to write to Georgiana. As he started the second page of his correspondence, the door to the library opened. On looking up, expecting to see his friend, he was astonished to see Miss Bingley entering. Luckily, she left the door open, so knew that he would not be subjected to another attempt of entrapment.

"Miss Bingley, I did not think you would venture into this room, for I know you not to be such a keen reader." Darcy explained, hoping his look of shock did not insult her. He had hoped that the library was his sanctuary, but it seemed that there was no room, other than his private quarters, that she did not follow him into.

"Oh, I came in to see if you wished to talk. I understand you have something on your mind," she smiled as she hovered around him.

Darcy stiffened at her words, had Bingley mentioned the magical nymph he had not stopped thinking about, to his sister? Surely not, for it would not have been a topic for ladies ears. Clearing his throat, he responded, "I do not understand what you mean, Miss Bingley, for I have nothing in my thoughts."

She was rather baffled, for she was sure her brother anticipated that Darcy's request would be imminent. Darcy returned to his letter, wishing her be gone from his personal space, but was interrupted again. "To whom are you writing? You write many words to this person, do you not?" she purred.

"I am writing to my sister, I am advising her that we arrived safely and will probably be here for some weeks. She is at finishing school in Yorkshire at the moment and I had promised her that I would write every week."

"Oh darling Georgiana, how I long to have her company again. Maybe soon she will be able to join us, possibly in celebrations?" she hinted.

 _Celebrations?_ Darcy thought, _it is only July, is she thinking of Christmas already?_

"I will leave you to your letter," she stated, as her hand rested upon his shoulder, making him flinch. "I will be in the saloon if you need to talk more." Now removing herself from the room, Darcy sat back in his chair and exhaled the breath he had been holding. Now calm, he returned to his letter, hoping that his spirit would pick up as he wrote joyous words to his sister.

He did not engage with Miss Bingley for the rest of the day. Having requested his supper be brought to him on a tray, he remained in the library with a good book and a bottle of his best brandy. Caroline was beginning to get frustrated at the lack of forwardness from the man she assumed loved her. _Why does he not come to me?_ she thought, _we are in the same house and it does not take much energy to ask a question._

Caroline finally retired to her bedchambers, to allow herself time to reflect and consider what she could do, to entice the ever so rich Mr Darcy into proposing marriage. She knew that trying to seduce him into compromising her would prove fruitless, for she had attempted that many times before, without success. Mr Darcy, being the gentleman he was, was not inclined to take the bait and Miss Bingley could not push it too far, without charging herself with the name of wanton hussy.

On seeing her maid come into the room, she pondered on whether gossip of her imminent engagement to the rich gentleman would work. It may have the desired effect of pushing him into asking for her hand. She knew that word would eventually get out if she allowed it, a situation that would impact on Mr Darcy far greater than any actions she could take herself. "Ruby, come here," she commanded, "I have some news, which I cannot keep to myself any longer," she beamed.

"What is it ma'am, is it good?" the maid said, eagerly.

"I do believe I will soon be known by the name of Mrs Darcy, for I have information from a very impact source that Mr Darcy will shortly ask for my hand in marriage."

"Oh ma'am, that is wonderful news, do you think it will be soon?"

"I do not know, I only found out a couple of days ago, so hopefully it will be. Once we are wed, we will all be off to Pemberley, I cannot wait to let everyone know," Miss Bingley said, raising her brows.

"Oh, am I allowed to tell my friend, Mrs Dawson? I have known her since childhood and coming here to Hertfordshire, I was able to sought her out, as I knew she was in the area. We have since become reacquainted," the maid asked.

"I suppose it will not hurt, it will be common knowledge very soon, I am sure."

Miss Bingley hoped that the maid's friend would be able to pass on the tidbit of news around and therefore plant the seed to allow the gossip mongers to run riot.

* * *

 **20th July 1811**

"Lizzy, Jane, we are walking into Meryton, do you care to join us?" Kitty asked, as she put on her bonnet.

"Yes, I would like that very much, I need to go to the book shop," Elizabeth said, wishing to buy a book on water nymphs. "I am sure Jane would like to accompany us also."

As the five sisters walked into town, Elizabeth made her way to the bookshop. As the rest of the party did not wish to waste their time waiting for their sister to choose her literature, they started to walk in the direction of the haberdasher. "More ribbons Kitty?" Jane chuckled, "do you not think you already have enough?"

"You can never have enough, Jane," Lydia said, as she skipped around her sister.

"Lydia, will you act like a lady, you are behaving as a ten year old child," Mary stated.

"Well I am only five years off of that," she said poking her tongue out at her older sister, hoping for a reaction.

As Lydia was about to goad Mary again, Mr Bingley approached on his horse, followed closely by Mr Darcy. "Miss Bennet, Miss Kitty, Miss Lydia and Miss Mary, I hope you are all well," Mr Bingley called out with enthusiasm, "It is so wonderful to see you here. Oh… may I introduce you all to my dear friend, Mr Darcy," he said, as he turned himself upon his horse to look at his friend.

The ladies curtsied and Mr Darcy bowed his head in response, although he did not utter a word to them and started to look around the town centre, from his high vantage point.

"I hope your hunting is going well, gentlemen?" Jane asked.

"Yes, exceedingly well, everyone was correct in their assumptions that there was plenty to be shot in these parts. I have never enjoyed such a sport in all my life," Bingley said, brimming with happiness. "Is that not so, Darcy… Darcy?"

"Oh… Yes," Darcy said, now returning his attention to the party, "this part of the country does have an abundance of wild life, that is for certain," he added, but his thoughts strayed towards another kind of wild life he found in the woods and a painful looking frown appeared upon his face.

Seeing his friend's expression, Bingley made his excuses, saying he needed to return to Netherfield on estate matters and left the party of ladies to carry on with their shopping. As they rode off, Bingley asked, "Whatever is the matter with you Darcy, you were more than your usual taciturn manner, you were positively self absorbed. Is your head giving you trouble?"

"No, my head is fine. I still cannot get her out of my mind, I just have to either find out who she is or fight this god damn curse she has placed on me," he grieved.

Just as the gentlemen departed, Elizabeth came from the bookshop, having found the exact book she was after. As she made her way to the party of four, who seemed to have not moved far from their original spot, she queried, "Why are you all still standing here? I would have thought you would be in the haberdasher by now, fighting over the lace."

"No, we have been delayed, for Mr Bingley was here."Jane said, not hiding her delight at their encounter with the young gentleman.

"Mr Bingley introduced us to his friend, Mr Darcy. I must say he is very handsome, but not as happy as his friend, he barely spoke a whole sentence and was preoccupied with something," Lydia stated.

"Dear Lydia, we are not all as you are," Elizabeth laughed, seeing her sister's smirk of disapproval.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Lydia huffed her annoyance.

"You babble on about things that most would not, I am not saying it is wrong, but it shows you as being rather zealous, sometimes."

"What utter pish!" Lydia pouted, "there is nothing wrong in extensive discourse. I'd rather be that, than quiet and moody!"

As Elizabeth was about to laugh in response to her sister's frustration, she noticed the gentlemen in the distance. As she tried to focus on one of the horses and its rider, her countenance changed from jovial to petrified. _No! It cannot be, is that the man who fell from his horse?_ she thought, squinting into the distance. Her eyesight was failing her at that moment and she could not determine for sure, if the rider was indeed the same gentleman she found in the woods. She noticed the rider accompanying him, for it was Mr Bingley. _Heaven forbid, is that Mr Darcy?_

Her shock had a profound affect on her and she felt the darkness close in. Beginning to sway, she knew that she would hit the ground if she stayed where she was. "I think I am about to faint."

"Lizzy, sit down," her sister said, as she escorted Elizabeth to the nearest bench. "Why do you feel light headed?"

"I do not know, maybe the walk was too much on an empty stomach."

"Why did you not have breakfast? Are you sickening for something?" Jane questioned, as she felt her sister's brow for a fever.

"No, I just didn't eat. It was silly of me thinking I could go until lunch," Elizabeth said, now angry with herself for skipping a meal, especially one such as important as breakfast.

Elizabeth stayed with Jane on the wooden bench outside the bookshop, whilst the remainder of the sisters went to purchase more surplus frills. Mary, however, had purchased an amount of dark grey winter weight fabric, enough to make herself a new dress. Lydia, on returning to the party, proclaimed it to be the most hideous material and only fit for making horse blankets.

As Elizabeth lay in bed, her thoughts went back to that morning in the woods. The images of such a handsome man peering up at her, with those eyes, eyes that she felt bore into her soul, had an immediate impact on her. His tender touch, when he moved the stray hair from her face had her froze to the spot. His kisses, that felt so right, but were so wrong, made her long for more. She had never kissed anyone before and to allow a total stranger to take advantage of her, in such a way, made her feel wanton, but anger began to build, anger towards herself. _Why did I allow him such liberties, foolish girl? For all I know he could be married with six children,_ she thought.

Elizabeth knew of the marriage bed and what it entailed, even though she was virtuous. Her father had extensive literature in his library, some of which showed illustrated accounts of the act itself. He had decided not to hide such books from his favourite daughter, allowing her to grow and become knowledgeable in that subject. The idea of a woman not knowing what married life entailed, until the day before the wedding did not sit well with him, for he thought all of the human race had the right to go into such a contract as equals. It also came down to the fact that his own Mrs Bennet did not know, until the morning of their vows and as such, she had been petrified of him for quite some time after the marriage and once she had accustomed herself to her fate, only tolerated the act in order to bear children.

As her eyes drifted close, she fell into a deep sleep, but Elizabeth's mind started to play mischief, as she lay slumbering in the quietness of her room.

 _The stranger's hands roamed her body, desperate to feel every curve of her virtuous flesh. She could feel something occurring_ _… deep inside of her, which made her gasp aloud, alerting the stranger to her reaction._

 _He looked up at her and gazed into her eyes, his look spoke of his admiration, his need and want of her body. "Please let me have you, for I have not seen anyone more enticing," he whispered softly into her ear._

" _But we cannot, it is not allowed, it is forbidden," she said, in an equally soft whisper._

" _But why? We can do anything, for are we not in an alternate world that your mind has created. So lovely, dearest Lizzy, we can take our pleasure in whatever way we choose and no one will ever know," he smiled, salaciously._

" _But_ _… I will know."_

" _Yes you will and you will come to enjoy it. What do you wish for, my love? This is your dream, so you are your own creator of your desires. I can go down on my knees and worship the woman you are, if you wish me to, or I can walk away and you will never see me again. You are the one controlling this, not I."_

" _No! Do not go! I long for your lips upon me," she said, closing her eyes._

 _The stranger knelt before her and pulled up the hems of her petticoats. She could feel his warm wet tongue flick in the most private of areas, making her cry out at the sensations it had created. His hands came around her rump and he groped her plump cheeks, forcing her forward into his face, where his ministrations became more urgent._

 _She pulled down her own bodice and started to touch herself, her nipples were hard and as she brushed her fingers over them, a surge of energy shot from each nipple to her core._

As she reached her peak, Elizabeth was awoken by the sounds of her own cries. Immediately, she sensed her muscles within her body, tense and flex over and over again, sending her into a state of euphoria.

 _What is happening to me?_ she thought, _I have never experienced anything like that before._

Her body, still in the aftershock of her wet dream, was so sensitive that any movement sent another ripple of desire through her. As she began to come back to reality, she began to get worried at what had just occurred. _Was that pleasure's peak I just experienced?_ she reflected, as she remembered her dream. Her thoughts turned to the fact that the stranger in her dream was none other than Mr Darcy. _God! If we are to ever meet, how am I ever to look at him in the face, without going scarlet?_

* * *

 **24th July 1811**

"Have you heard, girls. That fellow that is staying with Mr Bingley is to wed," Mrs Bennet said, as she rushed into the parlour.

"How do you know, mama?" Kitty asked.

"I was in town and bumped into Aunt Philips, she told me the news. It is all over town that he is to marry Mr Bingley's sister."

"Is it certain?" Jane asked.

"Well, the butcher's wife told aunt Philips and she heard it from Mrs Jones, who had been told by the haberdasher's wife, Mrs Dawson. She got the news from Miss Bingley's maid herself, apparently they are close acquaintances, so it must be true," Mrs Bennet said, as she settled down on the settee.

Just then, Elizabeth came into the room, with her book she had purchased a few days previous. As she sat and read, she started to pick up on the conversation that was being discussed around her and heard Mr Darcy's name, this prompted her to put down her book and ask what had happened.

"Oh Lizzy, do pay attention!" Mrs Bennet bellowed.

"But mama, I did not come into the room until after you started to discuss it, how was I to know what was happening," Elizabeth explained.

"Very well," Mrs Bennet said in a softer tone, "word has it in town that Mr Darcy is betrothed to Miss Bingley, everyone is talking about it."

Elizabeth did not know what to think, she sat there in deep contemplation. _Well, if who I saw was Mr Darcy, I can at least be safe in the knowledge that he was not married with six children. Still_ _… his heart is with another and he should not have done what he did to me,_ she thought, but her musings started to make her angry again, so she tried to put the whole business out of her mind.

As Elizabeth and Jane lay in bed that night, discussions turned to the subject of Mr Bingley.

"Jane, you do like him, don't you," Elizabeth smiled.

"Yes, indeed. I only wished we could have talked more this morning, when you were in the bookshop, for you would have met his friend, Mr Darcy."

"What is he like?" Elizabeth asked, hoping for a proper description on the man.

"Well, he is very handsome… he has the most piercing dark brown eyes I have ever seen, virtually black, they look like giant pupils," she laughed. "His hair is also very dark and he did not say much. He did, however, look as though his thoughts were elsewhere, as though he was looking around for something or someone.

"Mr Bingley said he was not well at the assembly and I can now assume that his friend must have had some sort of accident, due to his injury."

At this Elizabeth flinched, "Injury?" she questioned.

"Yes, he had a nasty bruise on his forehead, as though he had bumped it."

"So… this man, who has a bump on his head, is now betrothed to Miss Bingley, Mr Bingley's sister?"

"Yes, that is right, what of it, Lizzy? You look offended by the news."

"No, I am just confused, I thought Miss Bingley was already betrothed to another. Do not worry Jane, I probably have it all wrong, my head is in the clouds at the moment, must be the heat," she laughed, trying to hide her real reaction under the falsehood of a white lie.

* * *

 **31st July 1811**

It had been a matter of another two weeks since their first encounter, before Darcy spotted Elizabeth in the distance, whilst out riding. He had decided to venture out along the same pathway that he had previously taken, in the hopes of seeing Elizabeth again. Ever since that morning, each time he journeyed outdoors, he would look around at every dark haired woman he came across, trying to find her amongst the crowd, but to date he had not spotted her, a situation which he had begun to find intolerable.

As he watched from a distance, he saw her walking along by the wild meadows, picking flowers again. He proclaimed her to be just as lovely as she had been on their first encounter and without thought on whether or not he would scare her, he rode up to her at full gallop.

Elizabeth could hear the hooves of the horse approach and looked around. However, Mr Darcy in his eagerness, had not slowed his horse to a canter in time and he shot past the lady with such force, that her balance was shaken and she fell to the ground.

Seeing what he had done, he jumped down to assist her. "My god, I am so sorry, let me help you up," he said, pleading for her forgiveness.

"No! No! Leave me be, I can get up of my own accord," she said, as she stood and brushed down her dress. "What do you think you were doing, coming towards me at such a speed, did you wish to kill me?"

"No, I did not judge the distance and stopped too late, I am sorry," he said, trying to ease Elizabeth's agitation. "Please, I have been searching for you for over two weeks now. I need to know who you are," he begged.

"Why would you care to know who I am, I am nothing to you, sir," she voiced.

"No, that is not the case. I cannot get you out of my head, you torture me so, with your constant presence in my mind," he said passionately, as he stabbed repeatedly at his temple with his index finger.

"Why on earth would you be thinking of me, when you should be thinking of Miss Bingley!"

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked, puzzled as to why her name had been mentioned.

"Do you deny your involvement with that lady?"

"My only involvement is that she is the sister of a dear friend, what of it?"

"That is not what is being talked of in town, you are betrothed to her, are you not?"

"No, I am not. Who has said such a thing?" he asked, now concerned that the local tittle-tattles had their claws into him once more.

"My mother told me. However, through various mouths it did flow freely beforehand, but I believe it originated from Miss Bingley's maid herself, so cannot see any falsehood in this information."

"It is gossip, I am not betrothed to Miss Bingley or anyone for that matter, I am an unattached bachelor, wishing to find love, love that I think I have found… with you."

Elizabeth was taken aback by his declaration, "What? I believe you just wish to have your wicked way with me before you wed, I do not believe you, sir."

"But, it is true. When I looked at you after I first opened my eyes, I felt something that I had never ever felt before. My heart has ached for you since that moment, I have struggled to find you since then. Can you deny the pull that exists between us?" he asked, holding his fist to his chest.

Elizabeth just stood there, eyes wide and not uttering a word. Darcy took a step towards her, "I only wish to get to know you better, can you not grant me that, at least."

Elizabeth took a step back as he approached. She did not wish for the closeness that they had experienced previously, for she was uncertain she could control herself, if he were to approach her in the same manner."Please, do not come any closer," she pleaded.

"Why? Do you sense it too, can you feel it?" he asked and on noticing her jolted reaction to his question, he had his answer.

Elizabeth could not deny the attraction and she felt the pull tremendously, but was also worried that she was alone, on a deserted stretch of pathway, with a man who had already taken the liberty of kissing her most passionately. Not only that, but she had promised herself that she would not get herself into a situation of love, as it would only end in heartbreak.

Elizabeth had no choice other than to run, as she disappeared into the woods yet again, Darcy lost sight of her and screamed out his frustrations, sending a chilling cry into the air.

Elizabeth stopped in her tracks, whilst in the shelter of the woods, for she had heard his reaction. It sounded haunting and desperate and her body begged its return to him, for it was afflicted with such grief, that she collapsed to the floor, sobbing out her own despair. Why was she having such feelings for a man she did not know, beyond his name and his close friendship to the new tenant. _I have to forget him, I must not let this get hold of me,_ she pleaded to herself.


	3. Visit to Longbourn

Darcy returned to Netherfield Hall and made his way directly to Bingley's study. "Bingley, did you say anything of our discussion a fortnight ago to anyone?"

"What discussion was that, Darce?" Bingley asked, although he knew well enough of what his friend was on about.

"The one in relation to possibly proposing marriage to your sister."

"Erm… I may have," he winced.

"Prey god, who did you tell?" Darcy said, as he sunk down into a chair and huffed out his annoyance.

"Oh bloody hell! Darcy, I am really sorry, I let it slip to Caroline the morning after. I thought you had made your mind up, but seems you were only mulling it over."

"What the hell did you do that for? I told you I was only considering it. Well… your actions has caused Caroline to tell her maid, who has spread it about Meryton. The whole town believes we are to wed."

"Oh shit!" Bingley mumbled.

" _Oh shit! oh shit!_ Do you realise what you have done? Do you not see what impact this will have on your sister? For I will surely not honour such a lie. She allowed gossips to spread and she will have to pay the consequences, stupid girl!" he barked. "What did she think would happen? That I would run to her and propose? If she does not put this right, then I will have no option than to contradict her lies." Darcy got up and paced the room in frustration, "I feel that I would do better if I stayed in town, until I can find my own house to rent."

"Darcy, do you not think your reaction is rather extreme?"

"No, not in a small country town, where everyone knows everyone else, there will not be an ear that it will not have reached by now. If she does not retract the rumours, then I will put people straight. Do you realise this could possibly cause me to lose the one person that I have finally found!" Darcy stated, now sitting down and sinking his head into his hands.

"What?"

"I came across the lady again earlier. She thinks I only wish to know her, so that I can take liberties with her before I marry. She believes I am already betrothed to your sister and will have nothing to do with me."

"Darcy, do not move out, I implore you. I will talk to Caroline and have her retract her lies. I will tell her I got it wrong."

"I will stay for the time being, but may have to move out regardless, if things do not improve," he said in a more calm manner.

Darcy pulled out the flask, that he had been carrying around for the past fortnight. Gazing down on it, he muttered, "She still would not give me her name."

Bingley eyed the vessel, then realised something odd, "Darcy? That does not look like a very feminine flask, not one that a lady would carry."

"It looks like any other flask I have seen."

"That is because you only see flasks that gentlemen have. Louisa has one and it is far daintier and prettier than that. Maybe it is not hers?" Bingley questioned, "What if it was her father's?"

"You could be right," Darcy said, looking at the item once more. "It looks exceedingly old, not something a lady of around twenty would carry."

"Who do we know with initial T.B that is male and older?" Bingley pondered, then blurted out, "Bennet! Mr Bennet's first name is Thomas!"

"But we met all the daughters in town? It cannot be him."

"No, we did not. Mr Bennet has five daughters, we only met Jane, Kitty, Mary and Lydia. Elizabeth was not there," he grinned.

Darcy was now sitting on the edge of his seat, hanging onto every word his friend was saying. "What does she look like, I need a description."

"Well, she is around twenty, I'd say… Piercing dark brown eyes, a bit like yours, erm… dark hair which is rather wavy. Her physique is not displeasing, she has a rather ample bosom," he grinned, "her eyes are the first thing you notice an her mouth is quite petite and a pretty shape. Oh… and she has a large freckle, possibly a mole on her neck, just there," Bingley stated pointing to the left side of his neck.

"That is her, I noticed it when I kissed her!"

"You kissed her?" Bingley said, as his brows shot up into the air at his friend's revelation.

"I know, it was not gentlemanly of me. She pulled away, then we heard you approach and she run off," he sighed.

"Well, it seems you have fallen for Miss Elizabeth Bennet, daughter of Mr Thomas Bennet of Longbourn Estate, which is about three miles from here," Bingley grinned.

"I need to go to her, I cannot leave it any longer," he said, getting up from his seat.

"Do not be so foolish, she will not receive you. You left her probably panicked and shaken, if you had already kissed her and found her yet again… alone… along a country lane. See it from her point of view, Darcy."

"But what am I to do?"

"Let me first talk to Caroline and get these rumours squashed. Then once the word is out that it was all utter rubbish, Miss Elizabeth will be more inclined to believe you. I intend to pay a call at Longbourn next week, you can join me, if you wish."

"Why are you visiting?"

"Oh, I met your lady's sister and have taken quite a shine to her. Jane is such a sweet girl," he sighed.

"Caroline," Bingley called out, as he knocked on the door to her bedchambers that evening.

"Yes, what is it Charles?" she replied, in a not so bothered manner.

"Can I come in for a minute, I need to discuss something with you," he said, as he entered the room, not wishing to wait for his sister's response.

"Charles! I could have been in a state of undress," she bickered. "What do you want?"

"Did you tell your maid you were to be married to Darcy?"

"Not exactly, I said I was waiting on his question, why?"

"Because it is all over Meryton, that is why?" Bingley said in a huff, but he turned rather angry when he saw his sister's smile appear. "Caroline, did you do it on purpose?"

"Well, he wasn't asking, so I thought I would help him along a little," she smiled, feeling pleased that her little idea was working.

"He is not asking you, I am sorry Caroline, but you need to put things right with the rumours, for he is beyond angry."

"I will do no such thing, you told me he was going to propose and so he must. He will just have to honour the gossips and marry me."

"He has already told me he will not, he is so angry that he has even threatened to move out. You need to put this right, for all our sakes."

"What if I do not!"

"Then I am afraid, dear sister, you will have to face the consequences, as he will put his side of the story forward and you will be seen as a lier and gossip monger. I am already in two minds whether or not to send you back to London and let Louisa deal with you."

The smile fell from Miss Bingley's face and she paled to a ghostly white in recognition of her blunders. "He will contradict me? You will send me away?" she gasped.

* * *

 **3rd August 1811**

Miss Bingley had no option other than to retract her words. The only way she could do this was to employ her maid yet again. She instructed Ruby to go back to her friend, Mrs Dawson, and inform her that she had been mistaken and that she had overheard half of a conversation. The maid had little choice as Miss Bingley threatened to relieve her of duty, if she did not obey her request.

This whole situation was not of Miss Bingley's liking, but she could not think of anything else to say, that would be believable without showing her in a bad light. _Let the maid take the blame, I did not give her leave to gossip,_ she thought.

Ruby walked into Meryton that morning and went straight to the haberdasher, where Mrs Dawson was tending to a customer. She waited until the customer left and Mrs Dawson shut the shop for a few minutes, as she saw her friend rather agitated.

"Lottie, I need to talk to you," she said, with worry in her voice.

"What is it Ruby?"

"Miss Bingley has ordered me to talk to you again, in the hopes to retract the gossips that have been going around about her and Mr Darcy. I am mad Lottie, she told me it was happening and allowed me to tell you, when I asked. She did not say you weren't allowed to pass it on and stated it would be general knowledge before long. To be honest, she gave me the impression that she wanted it spread about."

"Did she now!"

"Apparently, Mr Darcy found out and he is furious. He wants her to retract, but it's been left to me to sort out, she threatened the sack, if I did not do it."

Well, I can spread new rumours, that is not a problem, I'd have to say it came from you again, but can give an assumption also that it was all Miss Bingley's doing," she giggled, "You should not take the blame for it, let her take some of the blame."

Ruby smiled and gave her friend a hug before she left to return to Netherfield Hall, where she instructed her mistress that it had all been taken care of.

* * *

 **7th August 1811**

Meryton was a hive of gossip, yet again, this time all eyes were on Miss Bingley. Some thought that the maid was just a tittle tattle and others thought that it had been the doings of the mistress herself and used the maid as a scapegoat. Luckily, the talk quietened down within a few days and everyone was onto the next piece of news, being that the baker's daughter was _in the pudding club._

Mrs Bennet, however, did not hear that piece of news until she visited her sister again. On her return to Longbourn, she called out to the girls, as she disrobed from her spencer. "Girls, there has been a turn of events for Mr Darcy."

"What has happened, mama?" Jane asked, as her mother came into the parlour.

"Well girls, here is a to-do. Miss Bingley is not to marry Mr Darcy after all. Word has it that the maid was mistaken, but some think that Miss Bingley herself allowed rumour to brew, hoping it would push Mr Darcy into marriage. He, however, has refused to say anything on the matter, but some say that he has his eye on another. Well, we may find out soon enough as they are both coming tomorrow for afternoon tea," she smiled, "I am sure it is you, dear Jane, that brings Mr Bingley here."

"But what of Mr Darcy? Why is he coming?" Mary asked.

"Well, I suppose he is Mr Bingley's friend and wishes to acquaint himself with everyone also. He was not at the assembly a few weeks back, so did not have the chance to be introduced to everyone."

At this, Elizabeth was grief stricken at the notion that Darcy was not lying to her, _he was telling me the truth_ , she thought, biting her lip with concern that she had chastised the man for trying to explain his innocence. Then her thoughts moved to the fact that he would be sitting in the parlour, the following day. _How am I to sit in the same room as him for a whole afternoon? I cannot bear the closeness of him, he will surely do or say something that will spark mother's curiosity. Maybe I can go for a walk?_ she pondered.

"Lizzy, are you alright?" Jane asked quietly.

"I am well enough. Just pondering on how Miss Bingley must feel now. To be so in love with a man to have to lower herself into trying to entrap him, it is a sad case indeed."

* * *

 **8th August**

The following afternoon was a hive of activity in the Bennet household. Mrs Bennet had kept a neat and tidy house, but her worries over such gentlemen calling upon them, caused such a case of heightened nerves that she was in a flurry throughout the morning.

Flowers were arranged in various vases around the parlour, cushions were plumped, rugs beaten and the best silver tea service was polished to an inch of it's life. Mrs Bennet had also instructed the cook to prepare Plum and Rich Pound Cakes, for she was to understand that Mr Bingley had rather a sweet tooth.

Elizabeth did not know what to do with herself, should she stay or disappear into the outdoors? She had little time to contemplate her move before Kitty, who was standing by the window, saw the gentlemen approach on horseback. "Look they have come, they are here," she cried.

"Bingley, I do not know how I am going to react on seeing her again," Darcy said, as they rode up to the frontage of Longbourn. "I have been a bag of nerves these past few days, anticipating this visit, I don't want to cock it up."

"Just be calm and take it one step at a time, try not to engage her in conversation too much, or you will make her feel uncomfortable. Remember Darcy, her family are not aware that you know each other."

"I will try, but it is easier said than done."

"If I see anything amiss, I will attempt to steer you into a more appropriate direction… and try not to gawp at her. I know you, you tend to stare and I am not sure if you realise, but your stare is rather intense. We do not wish to frighten the little lady, now do we?" Bingley smiled.

The ladies settled themselves down into their designated seats, as Mrs Hill opened the parlour door and announced the gentlemens' arrival.

After the necessary greetings, Jane introduced Darcy to her mother and then Elizabeth,

"Mr Darcy, this is my sister, Elizabeth Bennet, you did not have the pleasure of meeting her in town."

Elizabeth, who had taken to sitting the furthest away from the party, had no choice other than to move closer, in order to greet the new acquaintance. Nerves were high for both, but Darcy kept his countenance and greeted Elizabeth with civility, hoping that this would put her at ease. "Good day to you Miss Elizabeth, I am glad to finally meet you," he said in a friendly manner.

"Mr Darcy," Elizabeth said, as she curtsied, "I hope you are well?"

"Yes, I am exceedingly well… now," he smiled.

Elizabeth was not happy with the situation. Having been thrown into close proximity to Mr Darcy, with her family around, did not sit well with her. Her courage had abandoned her at that moment and she felt her body start to shake slightly, but she was sure she would be able to get through the afternoon, without dying of mortification.

"So Mr Darcy, how is your head? I hear you took rather a bad fall, not so long ago," Jane asked, as they settled down on the settees.

Jane, seeing her sister head back into the corner, grabbed her arm and pulled her down next to her on the settee, "Stay here, Lizzy," she whispered, wishing to keep her close by, as she noticed her sister out of sorts.

"It is better, although other issues that have arisen from it have not been resolved… yet," he said, as he returned his gaze upon Elizabeth, a look that did not go unnoticed by Jane.

"I hear it was not far from here that you fell, on the edge of the woods. You were lucky that Mr Bingley found you, as there are very few people who venture down that path, is that not so, Lizzy?" Mrs Bennet stated.

"Erm… Yes, it is very peaceful there," she blushed.

"There are many beautiful sights to behold in that neck of the woods," Darcy added.

"I would not say beautiful, maybe natural as mother nature intended," Elizabeth was now able to look up to the man, who had reacted so intensely towards her. Her countenance was now steady, but deep down inside she could feel her heart pounding and the blood rushing through her ears. _I will not faint! I will not faint!_ she repeated in her head, over and over again.

"I beg to differ on your assumptions, for I have seen such a sight in those woods, that has left me out of sorts for weeks."

Bingley could see that his friend was trying to engage in conversation with Elizabeth excessively and felt that he was too eager in his actions, so tried to steer the discourse to more comfortable subjects, involving everyone. "Darce, are you not forgetting that Derbyshire is the best place to see such natural beauty, have you not boasted of it for some years now."

"A man can change his mind, Bingley, although Derbyshire is my homeland, I can safely say that Hertfordshire has its draws."

"Indeed it has," Bingley said, smiling at Jane. "So Miss Bennet, do you often walk into Meryton?"

"Yes, we tend to go a few times a week, as there are many shops there that cater for Lydia's addiction," she said, laughing at the thought of all the ribbons and lace she had accumulated over the past year and a half.

"What is that supposed to mean, Jane?" Lydia asked in annoyance.

"Lydia, if you buy anymore ribbons and such, you can open your own shop," she laughed.

"Maybe we should cut down your pin money, Liddie dear," Mrs Bennet stated.

"Mama, that is not fair, why should I go without?" At this Lydia pouted and slumped back in her chair.

"My sister, Georgiana, is the same with her lace, she buys such things when she sees something she likes. She acts on impulse, like most Darcys," Darcy said, trying to encourage the youngest Bennet out of her mood.

"But is that not a fault? You act on impulse and do not anticipate the consequences of your actions?" Elizabeth said, as her courage rose at his declaration, for had he not acted on impulse when he kissed her and did not consider her feelings. This made Darcy look straight at Elizabeth, was she chastising him for his behaviour towards her?

"It depends… you could see it as a fault, if you were to abuse such a trait, but I personally have restraint enough to know when to be impulsive and when not to. I do not do anything lightly, Miss Elizabeth, I hope you understand that." She stared at him for what seemed like minutes, but must have only been a second or two, before she blinked several times, which broke their connection.

She could feel the pull that Darcy had mentioned exceedingly which was intensified at the proximity to him, in the parlour, for she sat no more than six feet from him. His words did not miss their target, for she knew that he was speaking of her, throughout his conversation. _Please do not draw attention to us, Mr Darcy, I beg of you_.

"No, you do not do anything lightly, look how long it has taken you to find a wife, and you still are not married," Bingley laughed.

"That is because most of the women I know are in London and as you put it the other day, they swarm around the honey pot. I would rather not have a wife with a sting in her tail," he surmised.

"The ladies do tend to flock around Darcy, it's your money they are after," Bingley chuckled, but this made Mrs Bennet rather uncomfortable, for was she not one of these mothers, who wished their daughters would marry wealthy men.

"The woman that I end up marrying will not be one of those, I can assure you of that," Darcy proclaimed.

"But how do you know who you will fall in love with, Mr Darcy, it may be the next debutante," Jane asked.

"Because, those traits in women do not appeal to me, in fact they repulse me. I would much rather settle with a kind, gentle woman, who is intelligent and well read. Someone whom I can hold a decent conversation with for longer than five minutes on matters other than fashion and gossip. She would not shy away from the slightest hint of a disagreement, for headstrong opinionated women always pique my interest immensely," he stated indirectly to Elizabeth.

Mrs Bennet was listening to the discourse in great delight, for the gentleman of ten thousand a year, who was sitting in her living room with her five unwed daughters, was looking for a wife and did not care for London society. _Oh joyous day this is, there is hope for my girls, maybe Lizzy? For he does seem to be taking rather an interest in her,_ she thought.

Darcy noticed the literature in Elizabeth's hand and was intrigued by the cover, "What are you reading, Miss Elizabeth?"

"A book, on magic," was all that she would give him, as she slid the book down the side of the settee.

"Magic?" he said cocking his brow, "Prey tell me, what sort of magic is it that you are reading about?"

Elizabeth hesitated to reply, but Lydia interrupted, "It's a book on water nymphs, she got it a couple of weeks ago in Meryton and has not put it down since."

"Oh, is that so?" Darcy said, his interest now piqued more than ever. "What do you make of such a subject?"

Elizabeth did not wish to say that she was enjoying the topic and thought it all rather romantic, so opted for the untruth, "I think it is all rather far fetched and idiotic to believe that such creatures exist."

"I can not agree with you there, for I have seen one myself, not that long ago," he smiled. This startled Elizabeth, for surely her family would ask him to elaborate on his declaration.

"Oh, do tell," Kitty asked.

With this request, he did not hesitate to tell all of his encounter with such a creature, telling it as if it were a fairytale. "It was not long after I hit my head, I woke to a vision, I was sure she was a water nymph, come to drag me down to the depths of her lake. Potamide, I think I called her. She was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen… Such a divinity, created by the river gods, I believe. Is that not so, Miss Elizabeth?" he asked.

"I believe so, it is mentioned in this book," she stated abruptly.

Darcy wondered if he had spoke out of line, he could see that she was now uncomfortable and tried to change the subject, but Kitty would have none of it.

"Do water nymphs drown men then?" she asked.

"Only if they feel threatened."

"Oh, I would love to be a water nymph, to be able to swim all day in the warm sun, how wonderful," Kitty swooned.

"It would not be in the depths of winter, you would freeze in the ice," Lydia giggled, all thoughts of her bad mood forgotten.

As their visit was drawing to an end, Darcy and Bingley made their way to the door of the parlour, but not before Darcy was able to press a note into Elizabeth's hand without anyone seeing. She quickly placed it up her sleeve of her gown and followed the rest of the party outside, where they bid their guests goodbye.

Jane made her way to Elizabeth's bedchambers for their nightly chats, as she closed the door behind her, she noticed Elizabeth reading Darcy's note, but on seeing her sister, she plunged it under her pillow and just smiled.

"Lizzy, do not say that everything is alright, when I can see it is not. What happened this afternoon?"

"I do not know what you mean?" Elizabeth said.

"Do not take that stance with me, Lizzy, I can see that Mr Darcy's presence caused you great discomfort. Do you already know him? For he was talking to you, as though you were old acquaintances."

"No, not old acquaintances," she said now breaking down in tears. "Jane, I don't know where to begin."

"Lets try at the beginning," she soothed, now holding her sister in her arms.

For the next hour, Elizabeth explained every aspect of her dealings with Mr Darcy, her feelings she now realised she had and his declaration of his towards her. "I cannot allow myself to fall for him, Jane, but each time I see him, a little more of my heart becomes his, I cannot fight it."

"Oh Lizzy, why do you fight it so, surely he will understand your plight. You are not the only woman to be faced with such a predicament."

"I am sure I am not, but I cannot handle it, it is far easier to bury my head in the sand and forget that part of life. It was easy to think bad of him, when the rumours around Miss Bingley were in circulation, as I saw him as a libertine, wishing to compromise me. But he is not, he is a gentleman and now there is nothing to stop me from hating him. I can forgive him for the kiss, as he must have been temporarily out of sorts and he has already apologised for that, but his regard for me still remains and I cannot fight my reaction to it."

"I doubt Mr Darcy will see your problem as a major concern. He was quite determined to have you join in the conversation and now I see his words throughout the afternoon were directed at you and you alone. Lizzy, do not brush this off as a whim on his part, he seems very determined."

"That is what I am worried about, Jane," she said, now pulling out the note from under her pillow, "read this."

.

 _Dear Miss Elizabeth,_

 _Please do not see this note as anything you should be afraid of, for I realise now that all that I have done, during our acquaintance, has not been that of a gentleman and I fear that I may have frightened you with my actions._

 _I can only defend myself by saying that I am so far removed from feeling comfortable, when I am in your company, that I act like a total idiot._

 _Please, I beg you to meet me at the spot where I fell, tomorrow morning, and I will try to ease your pain. I have the highest regard for you and only wish to get to know you better, if you will let me._

 _Do not disregard my sentiments, Miss Elizabeth, for they are honourable._

 _Yours truly_

 _Fitzwilliam Darcy_

 _._

"Will you go to him, Lizzy?" Jane asked as she finished reading the note.

"I do not know, I am in such a quandary as to whether I should leave him be or go to him."

"What is you heart saying?"

"My heart? It is telling me to go to him, hear him out. My head on the other hand is not, it is telling me to forget him," she sobbed.

"Oh Lizzy, do you not see this reaction is not of someone who wishes to forget. Go to him, it will not hurt. If you wish I can go with you."

"No! That will not be necessary. I feel that if there was another party there, he will not open up truly to me."

Elizabeth's mind was now made up. She had chosen to meet him, along the pathway the following day, alone.


	4. A Troglodyte in pursuit

**9th August 1811**

Waiting patiently by the wood's edge, Darcy started to become anxious that she would not make an appearance.

His nerves were great, as he paced back and forth along the pathway. With each minute that passed, his anxiety steadily increased and it had been little over an hour before he felt that she would not make an appearance.

He glanced down at his fob watch and noticed the time was only a little after eight o'clock. _Darcy you idiot! Why the hell did you leave so early,_ he thought. In his haste, he had left Netherfield Hall just before seven in the morning. _It is not as if you was going to meet her any sooner._ As he tried to focus his eyes to the area, he felt Elizabeth to appear from, he was relieved to see her emerge from a clearing in the trees. "Miss Elizabeth, I was worried you would not come," he said, as he bowed before her.

"I nearly did not, Mr Darcy. I struggled with my decision and changed my mind several times during the evening. It was only after talking to my sister, Jane, that I decided to meet you here this morning."

"You spoke to your sister?" Darcy asked, shocked at her divulging details of their acquaintance.

"I had little choice, as she could see something was amiss with both of us and was direct with her questions last night. I could not deceive her."

"I am sorry, I believe that was my fault. I paid too much attention to you and fear that I made you feel uncomfortable in my doing so."

"I did feel very awkward," she affirmed, "I had my family around, who were not privy to our previous acquaintance. Your attentions certainly piqued Jane's curiosity and probably mama's too, although she has yet to say anything to me on the matter."

"Please forgive me for my forwardness, I could not stop myself," he said, as he stepped forward, "I also wish to apologise again for my ungentlemanly behaviour, when you found me. I do not usually behave in such a libidinous way, but you took me by surprise, and I was not in the right frame of mind to be in control of my actions."

"We are both to blame, for I should have stopped you when you swept my hair from my face, but I did not."

"Why was that?" Darcy asked softly.

"I do not know, your touch felt like nothing I had ever felt before and I wanted more of it," she admitted, as she crimsoned.

"So you do feel it?" he smiled, as he took another step towards her, which brought him within the boundary of her personal space. She looked up at him and shyly whispered her affirmation.

"Oh Miss Elizabeth, do you think it too much to ask for a courtship?" he asked, wanting to caress… to touch her once more.

"I do not wish to court anyone, I cannot… ever," she trailed off.

"Why ever not?" Darcy said, stunned at her decision.

"Because, I have decided never to marry, I do not wish to burden you with the reason, it is too much."

Darcy was shocked at her words and more so, as to why she was not giving him a valid reason. "Do you not think I should be the judge of that. Do not cast me aside without giving me a proper explanation, do you not think I deserve to make up my own mind?"

Elizabeth looked up at the gentleman, contemplating on whether or not to tell him, _No I cannot say, he will think me ruined and hate me_. "I cannot explain, I am sorry," she wept.

"Please do not cry so, Elizabeth," he said soothingly, as he took her gently into his arms, so not to alarm her.

She felt so at home in his embrace, even the use of her given name did not make her wince or angry, it sounded so natural from his lips. There they stood, in the middle of the woods in a comfortable embrace for almost quarter of an hour. His hold of her was tender, but although she felt at peace, she realised that it would be the last and with that notion, Elizabeth started to sob. Pulling away slightly, but still in his embrace, Elizabeth gazed up into his eyes, his expression was soft, for he had all that he wanted in his arms. "This can never happen again, Mr Darcy," she said, knocking the wind out of him.

"But it feels so right, please Miss Elizabeth, do not do this, at least give me a chance."

She was tempted to remain in his arms, but pulled away after hesitating, "I need to leave."

"Leave? But you've only just arrived. Can we just talk?"

"It was a mistake in coming," she said, as she began to move away.

"Was it?" the question stopped Elizabeth in her tracks. "Please stay, we can talk, surely that will not hurt," he said desperately, as he did not wish to let her go.

"I suppose not," she stated, "There is one thing I would like to know. What of the gossips that were in town, about you and Miss Bingley?" Elizabeth asked, as she needed to know why such a rumour could have circulated, _surely there is no smoke without fire_.

"Miss Bingley is a close friend's sister. She has not let it go unknown these past five years, that she wished to be my wife. It is not a case of love, it is a case of her wanting the prestigious position of being Mrs Darcy and all that goes with it, which in the case of most of London's female population, amounts to my money," he sighed. " She has over time tried to entrap me, entice me and work her _so called_ magic charms, and I tolerated it for far too long," he said, now trying to think of a way to explain his part in the matter. "Miss Elizabeth, please let me say more, but first I need to say that this all happened before we met." Elizabeth nodded.

"I had been searching since my father's death, some five years ago, for my life's partner, someone to settle down and have a family with, but had not found anyone. I was beginning to get desperate, thinking no woman existed in this world that would make me feel alive, make me want to give my all to that one person. I had considered asking Miss Bingley for her hand and I foolishly told her brother of my thoughts. Well… Bingley could not keep his tongue in check and told his sister, and on hearing this, she was determined that I propose.

"The following day I met you and all thoughts of asking her to marry me went out of my mind, for I then knew that I had found that person I had been searching for."

"So you were to marry?" Elizabeth gasped at his words on Miss Bingley, but blushed on what he had said about her.

"No! no such question was ever asked and I discussed it with her brother as a theory, a what if, you could say. I doubt it would have happened, as I find her only _just tolerable._ As I was not forthcoming with my request, she took it upon herself to spread the rumours herself, in the hopes I would be forced into asking for her hand."

"So you do not see her as a possible future wife?" Elizabeth was at ease with what he had told her and in any case, it was not as if anything was to happen between them.

"No, she is not wife material, I told you of my preferences yesterday. I prefer well read women, who can join in a good discussion or even a debate, for I do like to have my mind challenged from time to time. I know very few women, who could discuss at length anything of current affairs or what was happening in parliament or indeed on the stock market."

"I doubt most men know much about the stock market or parliament. I would have liked to have been able to go to the stock exchange and watch all that goes on, but as you know, we women are not allowed. I had even considered wearing a pair of father's breeches and a long coat, passing myself off as a well-to-do gentleman," she laughed.

"Heaven forbid! You in breeches!" he gasped. Closing his eyes, he imagined such a sight before him. _Ah! Elizabeth in a tight pair of tan silk fall front breeches, displaying every curve and dip of her body... My god! The flap at the front would allow for my hand to easily slide in and fondle her crotch._

"Mr Darcy? Mr Darcy? Are you awake?" she asked, as she watched Darcy in some sort of dream-state. The smile upon his face proving that it was indeed a very pleasant dream.

"Yes, just thinking," he smirked, still with his eyes closed.

"Are you thinking of me in breeches? For I must admit that I do possess such a pair," Elizabeth teased.

His eyes sprung open and as much as he tried to gather his bearings, he cried, "YOU DO?" The redness upon his cheeks was faint, but Elizabeth could see that he was rather embarrassed as to have been caught out. "Erm? You were saying, the stock market?" he added, as he tried to change the subject to a more sedate topic.

"I would have loved to have had a chance to go, but father put his foot down and said I was not to, for he did not see it as a woman's place. I, however, beg to differ and would have done remarkably well, if I were a member and allowed to dabble."

"You feel you could cope in that environment? With all those men," Darcy grinned.

"I am sure I would have handled it exceedingly well, we women have a far calmer approach to things than you men. It is in our nature, we calm and sooth, whereas you are all beasts, crashing about the place with your clubs," she chuckled.

"Oh Miss Elizabeth, you do paint an awful picture of us, are we all to be likened to such, or can you see it in your heart to allow a few of us to be rather more sophisticated than a fur-clad Troglodyte."

"Oh I do not know, I am sure quite a few of you gentlemen would like to grab your mate by the hair and drag her back to the caves," she stated, then gasped, "I did not mean that… I… oh… erm," she blushed.

Darcy laughed at what she had said, _Oh yes, Miss Bennet, how you speak the truth,_ he reflected.

"I fear that I have spoken rather out of turn," Elizabeth stated, as her blush deepened. "I did not mean to imply… Oh heavens sake! What do I mean?" she huffed as she fiddled with her fingers. "Mr Darcy, I am sorry."

"You should not be, for it would be beyond my wildest dreams to be able to drag you into my cave, Elizabeth, breeches and all."

At his words, Elizabeth's breathing hitched and she could feel her heart beating in her chest. _No! How can I stop reacting in such a way?_

He moved closer, as she tried to compose herself, but the closer he came, the more she felt her blood rush through her body. He began to stroke his fingers across her face and down her neck, she could do nothing other than close her eyes. Her anticipation of his tenderness upon her lips was great and she could feel his breath upon the side of her cheek, as he moved his lips closer to their goal.

"Only one kiss… here," he whispered, as he placed his lips softly at the corner of her mouth, "and here," he said as he placed another at the other corner, before resting his cheek against her temple, where he sighed. "Please allow me to court you, I implore you."

At his words, Elizabeth broke from her trance and pulled away, Darcy could see she was holding back her tears. "I have to go," she begged, and without hesitation, she left him standing there.

Although he did not wish for her to leave, he knew that he had to let her. He could tell that she needed time to come to terms with her feelings. _I will not give up on you Lizzy, one way or another, we will be together, my darling_.

As Elizabeth walked home, she found herself unable to hold back her tears. Looking up to the heavens she prayed, _God give me the strength to get through this, I cannot cope with pushing him away for much longer. Am I doing the right thing? Am I giving up on what could be a lifetime of happiness?_

* * *

 **10th August 1811**

The following day, Darcy ensured that he did not cross paths with Elizabeth. The previous two days had been hard on the lady and he felt they both needed time to absorb the situation, that they found themselves in. Bingley, on the other hand, had taken to visiting Longbourn again, in the hopes of seeing Jane.

As the afternoon visit progressed, Mr Bingley knew he had to bring up the matter of his friend and Elizabeth. Darcy had divulged the fact that Jane knew of what had occurred, so felt at ease on approaching the subject with her. "Miss Bennet, do you care to take a stroll in the gardens, maybe Miss Kitty or Miss Mary can accompany us?"

"I would like that very much," Jane smiled.

As the couple walked the length of the rose gardens, with Mary following ten paces behind, Jane enquired why Darcy had not accompanied him. "I do believe that the past few days have had an impact on him, he feels he needs to give Elizabeth space. He is in rather a state at present, has been for a few weeks now."

"Since he saw Elizabeth? Lizzy has already confessed that she likes him exceedingly and fears falling in love with him."

"Darcy is already there, he told me it was love at first sight for him," Bingley stated.

"Lizzy is fighting it, she is determined never to marry, but I have told her that she is being silly."

"Silly? What is she being silly over?" Bingley asked.

"I cannot say, it is not my place to divulge, only Lizzy should be the one to tell of her troubles. I do believe though, that Mr Darcy should be told and for Lizzy to determine her fate by his reaction."

"We need to get them into the same room, alone if possible. If I were to invite you and your sister to Netherfield Hall for tea tomorrow, then we can force them into discussing their issues, lock them in the broom cupboard, if needs be."

"But what of your sister?" Jane asked.

"Oh, she returned to London earlier this week. She is staying with Louisa, my other sister, for the rest of the summer," he stated, but did not elaborate on the fact that his sister had been impossible since he forced her to retract her lies, he wanted nothing more than to have her out of his sight… and earshot.

They both agreed to have tea the following day and Jane was to bring Elizabeth with her, even if she protested.

Jane sought out her sister after Bingley's departure. She was found in the music room, looking over various new pieces of sheet music that Mary had purchased. "Lizzy, we have been invited to tea at Netherfield Hall, tomorrow."

"I cannot go," Elizabeth exclaimed.

"Why ever not?" Jane frowned in annoyance, "you will go Lizzy, if I have to drag you there kicking and screaming."

"What? Why are you so eager for me to go with you?"

"Because you need to talk to Mr Darcy, before you go on your trip with aunt and uncle Gardiner. You cannot leave him in such a state."

"But we leave tomorrow, they are due to arrive this afternoon and we leave at noon, so cannot go."

"But… but I thought it was next week? Why has the date changed?"

"Uncle needs to see one of his associates, his business premises are on route, so has arranged to meet with him tomorrow evening when we stop at Northhampton, so it cannot be delayed another day. Please do not try to persuade me, I have had it all morning from mother, she insists on me staying." Elizabeth said.

"Why is mother asking you to stay?"

"Because she thinks Mr Darcy is interested in me and wants me to encourage him, it was almost laughable at how she put her argument across."

"Do you not think she has a small point? Even though he does not need encouragement, he needs some sort of resolve on the issue, you will leave him waiting for a month."

"Jane, I am doing this to distance myself, he will get over me quickly enough, it is for the best."

"For who? Surely not Mr Darcy!" she shouted, "I have never felt the need to chastise you as I do now, Lizzy, you are not behaving rationally."

"I am behaving as I see fit, Jane, please just leave it!"

With that, Jane stormed out the room and slammed the door, _God, you would think I had just had a conversation with Lydia_.

* * *

 **11th August 1811**

As Elizabeth had stated, the party left for the north the following day, at around noon. Jane had no option other than to request the company of Kitty, for Mary was too busy and Lydia purported to have a headache.

As Jane and Kitty were announced by the butler, both Darcy and Bingley rose to their feet and greeted them amicably. "Oh it is grand to see you again, Miss Bennet, Miss Kitty, but… why is Miss Elizabeth not with you?" Bingley puzzled, as the whole idea of the afternoon tea was to get her to talk to his friend.

"I am so sorry. Apparently there was a change in my aunt and uncle's plans, which I was not aware of. Elizabeth was supposed to go on a trip with them next week, but uncle had to bring it forward and I was not told, I am sure not telling me was deliberate on her part. She left two hours ago."

Darcy fell back down onto his seat, on hearing the shocking news. Knowing he would not see her for some duration, he began to panic, spluttering out his words, "How long will she be gone for, Miss Bennet?"

"The trip is a full month. She is travelling north to The Peaks and surrounding counties."

"Which ones?" Darcy asked.

"I am not sure, but I know aunt was brought up in a small village called Lambton and understand they will be going there for at least a week at the start of the trip, then they will travel to Matlock, Leamington Priors and Oxford, on their way back."

"Good god! I must leave at once, Bingley, I need to return to Pemberley," Darcy said in a rush. Kitty was confused at his reaction to her sister's agenda, but said nothing for fear of looking silly. "Do you think that they are likely to ask for tours of houses in the area?" Darcy added.

"They usually apply to the housekeeper for such a viewing. Aunt feels she cannot travel that distance and not see such fine houses in the area. What of it?" Jane asked.

"My estate is but five miles from Lambton, I need to get back to Pemberley, for they are very likely to visit."

"But Mrs Reynolds will turn them away, if you are there, surely?" Bingley added.

"Not if I tell her not to and to not divulge that I am in residence to the party. Does Miss Elizabeth know Pemberley is my home?" Darcy asked Jane.

"I do not think so, she has not mentioned it. I was not aware you were the owner of such an estate. Elizabeth has spoke of it several times in the past, after reading about it in one of father's books, so she will probably be eager to take a tour herself. I doubt she has connected you with your home, as the name would have meant nothing to her at the time."

"I only hope she does not realise, when they apply for the viewing… I must go, I need to reach Pemberley before Miss Elizabeth does," Darcy said, as he took his leave to pack. He, however, knew that he had to take a diversion into town, before heading north, as there was a small matter he had to attend to, which would only take a few hours before he left for home.

As Jane and Kitty made their way back to Longbourn, Kitty could not help but wonder over what had just occurred. "Jane, what just happened?"

"Oh it is a long story, Kitty. Mr Darcy and Elizabeth met a few weeks back and there is a mutual attraction. Mr Darcy wishes to court her, but Lizzy will not have any of it, even though she is taken with him."

"Oh, it is this thing about her accident again," Kitty said, rolling her eyes.

"Kitty! How do you know about that?" Jane voiced.

"Oh," Kitty gasped, now embarrassed at what she was about to confess to, "I sometimes listen to your conversations, when our windows are open. Do you realise I can hear everything from my room. I heard you talk a few months back about her fall and I feel Lizzy is being silly, if she feels she has to put her life on hold and not experience a husband, family or being loved during her life, due to something so small."

"That is my sentiments too, but she will not listen to me. It may be small, but she sees it as such a problem. So… it seems that she will have nothing to do with Mr Darcy, but he is determined to love her, if he persists, Lizzy will end up telling him and I am sure he will not think ill of her. I just hope he does not give up before she gives in."

* * *

 **13th August 1811**

Darcy arrived at Pemberley in less than two days. He knew that the party would take a more leisurely pace and therefore was certain that he had not missed them. On his arrival, he summoned the housekeeper to the parlour.

"Mrs Reynolds, I know you provide tours of the house, when I am not here. It has come to my attention that a small party may request such a tour in the next few days, whilst I am in residence. This may sound an odd request, but can you allow the tour to go ahead and advise me, as soon as possible, of their arrival."

"Is it someone you are acquainted with, sir?" Mrs Reynolds asked, puzzled at his request.

"Yes, but I do not wish for them to know that I am here and I certainly do not want my family name to be mentioned. I hope to surprise them as they do not realise this is my home," he smiled. "Can you arrange for three rooms to be prepared in the guest wing, one being the cream room," he added, as he wanted the party to stay for a few days. "The young lady, who will be accompanying the older couple will have that room."

The cream room was the most luxurious accommodation in that part of the house, boasting of a large copper bathtub, a east facing balcony, which took advantage of the morning sun and a small sitting room. He silently wished for her to have the mistresses rooms, which were linked to his, for they were the most opulent rooms in the house. However, he knew that propriety and his own lustful urges would not allow such a delicious idea to become reality.

"Is there anything else I can do to accommodate the party, sir?"

"Yes, get chocolate truffles and lots of them!" he commanded, knowing all young ladies liked the sweetness of such a delicacy, "and meadow flowers for the cream room, I want a bountiful of vases in there, with Gypsophila," he added, thinking of the sprig of Baby's breath that fell from her hair.

Mrs Reynolds smiled on seeing how eager her master was, for she had not seen him in such a state for quite some time. "May I suggest something sir, you may think I speak out of turn for suggesting such a thing, but I could attempt to split the older couple away from the young lady, during the tour, if that pleases you."

"Erm? I am not sure that will be needed," he said, as he bit his lip in contemplation, "maybe if you did it whilst a footman was around, that may be acceptable," he said now with a slight smile on his face.

"I can get Edward to follow the party, from the rear. I will try and split them up, whilst in the Marble Gallery. There are numerous exits to that room and I can leave with the couple, whilst the lady is not paying attention."

"Mrs Reynolds, I do not know whether to hug you or chastise you, for such a suggestion," he beamed.

* * *

 **16th August 1811**

It had been two days, when Elizabeth, aunt and uncle Gardiner arrived at Lambton. Having taken rooms at the Rose and Crown Tavern, they settled down for a quiet breakfast in one of the private dining rooms the following morning.

"Where are we to visit today, aunt?" Elizabeth asked.

"Oh, I think Pemberley would be a fine place to start, it is not five miles from here and boasts of the most delightful grounds and the finest woods in the country."

"Oh, I read about the place a few years ago," Elizabeth responded, "Do you think the family at home?"

"No, such families spend the summer in town, enjoying the London season, most country estates lay empty during the best part of the year."

"So, Pemberley it is!" Elizabeth smiled, eager to see such a fine estate and grounds.


	5. The Marble Gallery

Another dream sequence in italics in this chapter.

* * *

As the carriage approached the frontage of the building. Elizabeth's eyes were fixed to the imposing structure in front of her, for she had not seen anything so monumental. She had seen illustrations of the estate in one of her father's books a few years previous, but it did not compare to the real thing. _Oh to be a mistress of this fine house, would be a dream come true,_ she pondered, _the family must be very rich indeed._ Her mind wandered to the literature that she read, but she could not remember who the family were, it obviously was not someone prominent, for she would have remembered.

Elizabeth took in every detail of the frontage, while Mr Gardiner made his application to the housekeeper for admittance. Mrs Reynolds, on remembering what the master had said, agreed to the request and bid them to wait for a few moments in the morning room, whilst she prepared. She made her way to below stairs in order to call for Edward the footman, whom had already received his instructions and then progressed to Darcy's study, where she informed the master that his special guests had arrived. Darcy, on hearing this was ecstatic, for there had been no guarantee that the party would even consider visiting the house. He advised Mrs Reynolds that he would be in the vicinity of the party, whilst they toured, but would keep out of sight until she left the Marble Gallery with the older couple. He would then make himself known to the younger lady.

As the tour proceeded, Elizabeth was struck by how elegant the rooms were. They were exceedingly more grand than any home she had visited before and concluded that this was the finest house she had been in. She noted its appearance to be stately, but not overly ostentatious, unlike one home they had visited. Her mind wandered back to one particular estate in Kent, which the party had viewed the year before, where every room was filled with overbearing furniture and elaborate wall hangings.

As they entered the music room, Elizabeth gasped at the fine specimen of a pianoforte, which stood proudly amongst the other elegant furnishings in the room. "Do you play, Miss?" Mrs Reynolds asked.

"Only a little and very ill indeed," Elizabeth said. "However, if I had been spoilt with such a fine instrument as this, I would have practised more," she smiled. "Would I ask too much to request to play a few bars? My fingers are itching."

Mrs Reynolds did not usually allow visitors to touch anything, however, she remembered how the master behaved a few days previous and knew that he had singled the young lady out to be his special guest amongst the party. "I cannot see any harm in it, you could try this piece?" Mrs Reynolds said, as she handed Elizabeth a Mozart aria, she knew to be one of her master's favourites.

As she started to play, Darcy, who was hidden in one of the niches in the vestibule, listened to her rendition. His head sank back against the wall as he closed his eyes, absorbing the heavenly sound, as she started to sing. _Lord, thank you for sending her to me. If you could just see your way to allowing her to stay, I would be forever grateful._

Mrs Reynolds could see Darcy from her vantage point and noted his reaction to the young lady. The elderly housekeeper realised that Elizabeth was drawing the piece to a premature end, so urged her to continue. As the music came to its natural conclusion, she spied Darcy again in the vestibule, where she witnessed tears streaming down his cheeks and the emotion that was evident on his face could not conceal his love for her. Turning back to the young visitor, she declared, "You played that piece so well, Miss, I can safely say that you do not play ill, that was a wonderful rendition and your voice is that of an angel, I doubt the walls of this old house have heard anything finer."

"Oh, it is barely tolerable, but the instrument is very fine and I would imagine makes any unskilled pianist sound perfect."

"You do belittle yourself, Lizzy, you really should not do that, for it is not an attractive trait in a woman," Mrs Gardiner said.

"Yes aunt, mother keeps saying that, usually after she has demoted me to the least prettiest daughter," she chuckled.

At that statement, Darcy gasped, _Least prettiest? What on earth is Mrs Bennet on about? Surely she has not had her eyes open, when in her daughter's company. She is by far the most beautiful of the bunch!_

Elizabeth stood from the pianoforte and walked across the room to gaze out of the window, which face towards the lake. Her expression showed that she was deep in thought and Darcy could only just see her from the reflection in the glass display cabinet. She seemed relaxed and serene, he surmised that she did not seem intimidated by the whole grandeur of the house, but how would she feel at being mistress of such a place?

As Mrs Reynolds moved on with the tour, he realised that the gallery was almost upon them. Darting back into his study, he ran through the other door and into another corridor and straight through to the gallery, where he hid behind a drape. As the party walked around, he heard Elizabeth gasp at something she had seen, _Shit! Is it my feet?_ he thought. However, on peering around the side of the drapes, he noticed she was looking at the statue of The Wounded Achilles. He had to smile to himself, as her gaze was fixed on the Trojan's exposed manhood.

He watched as she moved onto the next statue, _Shit!_ he thought, _it's my bust! Blast and damnation, I forgot it was there!_ Elizabeth stopped and observed his likeness. Puzzlement now flooded her face, as though she did not understand what she was looking at. As she gazed up at the marble piece, Darcy could see a glimmer of recognition in her air and the whimper that she let out, echoed around the gallery. As she peered around to see the others, she noticed she was alone. Darcy observed the footman at the back of the gallery, where he stayed, head bowed to the floor.

Elizabeth's thoughts turned back to the bust, for she now understood it to be that of Mr Darcy _._ She could not pull her gaze away from the bust, for she was so fixed on his likeness, that she found it almost hypnotic. Darcy knew that he was now able to make his introduction into conversation with ease.

"Is it not a fair likeness, Elizabeth," he breathed, as he stood behind her. He was so close, she could feel his hot breath on her neck, a sensation that made Elizabeth wish for nothing more than to be able to lean back against his chest and have him take her into his arms, but all that she was able to do was allow a hitched sob to escape.

"I did not know," she said softly, "I am terribly sorry, Mr Darcy, if I had known, I would never have come."

"I am glad you are here, you have seen my home, something that I am very proud of, Elizabeth," he said as he moved a few inches closer and so able to rest his cheek upon her temple, as she instinctively lulled back against him. This had a profound impact on her, for now she could feel herself swoon at his closeness.

As her back pressed against his front, Darcy placed his arms around her, enveloping her in his hold and placed a tender kiss, into the crook of her neck. She was engulfed by his scent, a cologne she did not recognise, it was heady and intoxicating.

"We need to talk, Lizzy, we cannot go on any longer like this, you cannot ignore your feelings."

"No, I cannot." Her emotions portrayed clearly in her voice, for it trembled as she spoke her reply. "I have battled with them for weeks now and each time you are near me, the struggle becomes harder. You have proven yourself victorious on this battlefield of wills, Mr Darcy, but I am now happy to surrender my cause."

Elizabeth could feel his cheeks flex against her temples, as he smiled at her declaration, "Does that please you, Mr Darcy?"

"Exceedingly so, you know it does… I hope I do not ask too much, but I have prepared rooms for you, your aunt and uncle in the guest wing. I would be delighted if you would stay as my guests for a few days, at the very least."

"I would love to, although the final decision will be that of my uncle's," she sighed, still swimming in the headiness of his presence.

Darcy released his hold of her, making her whimper to the now lack of intimacy, but it was soon eased as he walked around to face her. The tips of his fingers caressed her cheek and moved down to her lips, where she run his thumb across her bottom lip. "I wish I could kiss your sweet lips, right now," he whispered.

"What is stopping you?" she said quietly, now surrendering to her own feelings.

"I fear if I start, I will never stop," he smiled. "May I suggest we find your relatives and take a walk in the gardens, I think we are both in need of some fresh air."

Elizabeth nodded as he took her hand and placed it into the crook of his elbow. As they made their way back into the portrait gallery, Elizabeth saw her aunt. Mrs Reynolds turned to see the master with the lady and smiled, she knew whatever he was up to, had worked. Seeing Elizabeth on his arm, she sighed, _I hope this is the one, he needs to settle down with a good woman,_ she thought.

After introductions were made to the Gardiners, Darcy suggested they take a tour of the grounds, where he mentioned a lake full of trout, waiting to be caught. At this, Mr Gardiner smiled with delight, "I take it you are a keen fisherman, Mr Gardiner?"

"Yes, indeed sir, there is nothing better than to sit by the water's edge, waiting for the pull of the line."

"Then you must fish with me, maybe tomorrow?" Darcy asked.

"Yes, that would be splendid."

As they returned to the house after spending an hour in the open air, Elizabeth noticed tea had been arranged on the veranda. "I hope you will join me for refreshments," Darcy asked.

Elizabeth noticed the chocolates as she approached the table, she gazed up at Darcy and smiled her approval, making him chuckle, "I knew you had a sweet tooth, Miss Elizabeth."

As tea progressed, Darcy made the suggestion to the party that they stay at Pemberley during their time in Derbyshire, rather than spend the nights at the local Tavern. Elizabeth was rather worried that both her aunt and uncle would protest, saying that it was too generous, but was shocked to find both in agreement.

It was arranged that the older couple would return to the tavern that afternoon, to organise the trunks and settle any outstanding bills. Elizabeth was surprised to find that her aunt wished for her to remain at Pemberley. "Lizzy, you would do very well remaining in the company of Mr Darcy. There is little for you to do and I can oversea the packing of your trunks. Stay here and keep the gentleman entertained, whilst we are away," she smiled.

"Aunt, I am shocked at you allowing me to remain?" Elizabeth said with a degree of surprise.

"Are you fond of him, Lizzy? I could sense something between you all morning. He is extremely attentive towards you."

Elizabeth looked down at her fumbling fingers, not knowing what to say. Eventually she said, "I do find him exceedingly pleasing."

"And am I right in thinking he reciprocates those feelings?" aunt asked.

"Yes, he does," Elizabeth said bashfully.

"Enough to travel across half the country to see you here?"

"It seems so, aunt," Elizabeth said with a glimmer of a smile, "For I only just left him in Hertfordshire."

"Therefore, I feel it polite to stay, he has travelled over one hundred and fifty miles to be with you, I think he deserves as much of your company as possible. It is not as if you are alone, there are at least one hundred servants about the place," she smiled, "we will return within a couple of hours."

As the carriage pulled away, Darcy took hold of Elizabeth's hand and placed it into the crook of his elbow. "Shall we return to the veranda?" he asked.

As they proceeded to walk around the perimeter of the building, Darcy stopped, looked around and noted there was no one in view. "May I kiss you?" he asked in a breathy voice. He had longed for this moment since her arrival, but had not the chance to act on his desires.

With her nod, he wrapped his arm about her person and placed his other hand around the back of her head, where he teased her scalp with the tips of his fingers. He pulled her closer, delivering her to him in a slow monotonous pace, diminishing the distance between them. As soon as their lips touched, Darcy could not hold his restraint. Passionate were his attentions and it was a matter of a few seconds, before he trespassed into the confines of her sweet mouth. Elizabeth groaned at the sensation of his tongue against hers, as it playfully danced around. She had never experienced such feelings, she was enraptured by his ministrations and intoxicated by his presence. She sensed an urgency in him, his breathing was laborious, but then she also felt her own breaths leave the confines of her body in quick succession, for she found herself afflicted with the same condition as he.

She placed her palms against his chest, feeling his hard muscles beneath her fingers. On first contact, Darcy pulled away slightly, which abruptly stopped his attentions to her luscious mouth, only to inhale sharply at the pressure upon his chest. "Lizzy, darling, you do not know what you do to me, you will undo me completely," he whispered. He held her to him in a close embrace, for he felt that if he returned to kissing her in such a way, he would not be able to control his wants for much longer.

He was overjoyed she was there, in his home and more so that she was accepting his advances. He could sense she was no longer denying her feelings for him, she was as eager as he was.

On the return of Mr and Mrs Gardiner, the party were shown their sleeping accommodation. Darcy wished for nothing more than to escort her to the cream room himself, but knew that it was not the done thing. Requesting for the housekeeper to escort the young lady to her rooms, he remained downstairs, until they returned.

On entering her bedchambers, Elizabeth stood still as she took in the finery of such a magnificent room. "Mrs Reynolds, are you sure I am in a guest room?" she asked.

"Yes, it is a splendid room is it not, Mr Darcy specifically requested you have this room. Although it is a guest room, it is only reserved for special visitors and is hardly used, not even Mr Bingley or his sisters have stayed here. In fact, I do not think it has been used during Mr Darcy's time as master and believe the last time it was used, the old Mr Darcy was alive."

"Have you been here long, Mrs Reynolds?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes ma'am, I have been here thirty years, I was hired when the master's father took up residency with the mistress, before then the house was unoccupied for about three years. When they moved in, they refurbished the entire house and as it came close to completion, Mrs Darcy announced she was with child."

"Mr Darcy?" asked Elizabeth.

"He was such a sweet boy, very mischievous though and got into so much trouble with his cousins. I am sure he was the instigator to much of what went on back then," she smiled, at the nostalgic memories. "I remember his cousin, now a colonel, coming into the house, drenched from head to toe and stating that the master had pushed him into the lake. This of course he denied, but I do believe that I saw a glimmer of a smirk on his face when I had turned away from him, he did not realise that I saw his reflection in the window.

Elizabeth smiled at the housekeepers words, for she could sense a trace of rapscallion in the man, for had he not taken small liberties with her.

Looking about the room, she smiled to herself at how Mr Darcy had taken so much trouble. She was indeed honoured to be singled out as a special guest, but then, she was already aware of his special regard for her. It would only follow that he would give her such a luxury as a special place to call her own, whilst staying at his home. Her heart felt light at the prospect of spending several days with him, without the hindrance of her overbearing mother and silly sisters. She, however, wished for Jane to be with her, but then remembered that her sister was also finding love, back home.

After retiring at the end of the day, Elizabeth's sleep was long to arrive, for she had much on her mind. The day had been filled with new information and not so new feelings. She remembered how he felt, how he smelt as he held her in the Marble Gallery and later in the grounds. Her body languishing in his embrace, swaddled by his presence. As she drifted off, she found her lover reappear to her once more, but she did not know where she was. Glancing around, she surmised it to be an old study, filled with antiques and curiosities.

..

" _Darling, you are here, at last," he breathed into her ear._

" _Yes, I am, I will never go, never let me go."_

 _As he wrapped his arms about her waist, he pulled her into an embrace. She could feel his stiffened boy against her fanny and as he pushed his hips against her body, she let out a cry. "Feel me, Lizzy, feel my reaction to you. My cock is hard and hungry, it needs to feed upon your body," he breathed, as he placed feather kisses about her throat._

" _What do you want from me?"_

" _I want to bury myself inside you, deep within the warmth of your body."_

 _His hand moved down and grabbed the hem of her skirts once more. However, he did not lower himself to his knees as he had before, but guided her back, until her bottom hit the edge of the writing desk. She pushed herself back onto the desk's edge, her legs apart and her lover standing between, rubbing himself against her exposed core. "Do you want me, Lizzy?" his voice soft, but pleading._

" _Yes, so much so that I throb for you. My heart is already yours, take my body, I abandon myself to you."_

 _His hand moved to between her legs and started to caress her wet folds. His other hand was engaged in unfastening the buttons on his breeches to allow the flap at the fall front to open, and so releasing his boy from the prison it found itself in._

 _He grabbed her hand and placed her tiny fingers around himself, "Feel me, this is for you." Elizabeth stroked his cock, which was now close to her entrance. His arousal could not be mistaken and her ministrations only urged him forward. Weeping into her hand as she took control, he hissed his reaction through his teeth._

 _He took command again and placed the tip of his yard at the entrance to her and gently pushed into her with ease, sliding deeper without resistance, for her wetness was great._

 _Elizabeth gasped at the intruder to her nether regions, it felt alien, but so sensually satisfying. His hands moved around her body and held her rump, as he repeatedly moved in and out of her. On every thrust he took into her core, his own body came into contact with her sensitive nub, teasing it for a split second, before retracting its presence again._

 _As they moved together, he declared that he would never let her go, not now that he had tasted the forbidden fruit. "Please let me love you for always."_

 _.._

At this, Elizabeth awoke, gasping at the thought of such promiscuous love-making. She immediately noticed her hand was on her womanhood, her fingers were on her nub and there they stayed, stroking her pleasure spot. She relaxed back onto her pillows and continued to massage the small fleshy area, absorbing all the feelings it provoked. As she continued, the intensity of those feelings grew and it was suddenly upon her again, that feeling she had before, when she woke from her previous dream of Mr Darcy. She turned her head and buried her face into her pillow, as her body stiffened, letting out an uncontrolled cry as she reach pleasure's peak once more.

As she settled down, she heard faint footsteps within her dressing room. She lay there… still, daring herself not to move, for fear he would know she was awake. She could not see, but could sense it was a man, who had walked into her room and placed himself into the chair in the corner. Suddenly, his scent filled her nostrils and she immediately knew it to be Darcy, for it was a heady mixture of his own scent and the cologne she remembered from earlier, this calmed her immediately, but she still feigned sleep.

Little did she know, but Darcy had paced his own bedchambers for hours, trying to wear himself out and so enabling sleep, but the thought of her under his roof was sweet torture for him. As he had a set of keys to the whole house, he allowed himself to gain access to her rooms via the servants stairwell, which connected to her dressing room. His only intention was to watch her, as she peacefully slept.

Sitting in the corner of the room, he watched his beloved, highlighted by the moonlight that was coming in from the windows. The drapes had not been drawn, allowing the warm breeze to blow in from the open windows, which wafted across her sheet, allowing it to cling to her body.

His gaze moved from her face and down the length of her frame, where he saw she was naked. He dare not react to such a vision, for he would surely make a sound and that would awaken her from her slumber.

She lay there motionless, but still awake for an hour, before Darcy moved from his chair. He stood, went over to where she lay and kissed her gently. As he neared the door, she sensed him stop and turn for one last look, then left the room through the same door he entered.

Elizabeth was shocked at her lack of hysteria. Had her courage grown to such a level to allow her to keep calm? Darcy had gazed upon her for over an hour and she did not flinch or fear him. She may well have had protection of the thin cotton sheet, but that sheet had not hindered much from his view, for it lacked any amount of density and its sheerness, along with the wind's effects on the fabric, allowed every detail of her body to show.

She lay there smiling to herself, had she acted quickly, she could have dealt the ultimate tease. A misplaced limb appearing from outside the confines of her bedding would have driven him to distraction. _Maybe next time, Mr Darcy,_ she thought.


	6. A Confession with Little Consequence

Dream sequence again in italics.

* * *

 **17th August 1811**

As the party came down to break their fast, Darcy was nowhere to be seen. "Where is Mr Darcy?" Elizabeth asked her aunt, worried that he was evading her after his actions during the night. But no sooner had the words left her mouth, than she could hear Darcy's voice from outside.

Elizabeth glanced out of the window, she could see him talking to one of the footmen. He had hold of several fishing rods and was instructing the man to take them, pointing in the direction of the lake. She followed his point and observed in the distance, two garden benches and a table placed not far from the water's edge. "There he is, outside with fishing rods, you will be pleased to know, uncle," she beamed, "it looks like we are all to sit outdoors. I must remember to take my parasol out with me, for the sun looks harsh this morning."

Darcy returned to the house and entered the breakfast room, expecting it to be empty. "Oh! You have all risen early, I did not expect you to be up this early." His eyes quickly sought out Elizabeth's and a broad smile spread across his face, which she returned with a shy look. _Oh! How on earth have I been able to resist this man?_ she wondered to herself.

Reluctantly turning back to Mr Gardiner, Darcy noticed the excitement on the gentleman's face. "I take it you are eager to begin your fishing, Mr Gardiner?" Darcy asked.

"Indeed I am sir, for I have not taken delight in such activities for quite some time."

After they had finished their meal, Darcy invited them to take a leisurely stroll out by the lake. The older couple walked along the water's edge, gazing and pointing at the trout, as they bobbed up to the surface, the younger couple took to sitting on the garden benches. "Oh dear, what is wrong with me, my head is full of holes at the moment. I knew I had forgotten something, as soon as I walked out the door. I need to return to the house for my parasol," she explained.

"Oh, do not go, I can get a servant to fetch one," Darcy said, as he summoned a nearby footman over.

"Thank you, I placed it on top of my trunk, which is still in the corner of the room, so it will not be difficult to find."

Shortly after, the footman returned with the frilly lace parasol. "Oh, not something I expected to see you with… all this lace," he grinned.

"Do not suppose me to be unfeminine, I may read books, but I am no uptight bluestocking, you know," she beamed.

"I am glad to hear that, for I will have no hope of gaining your attentions, if you were," he smirked. "Besides, I could never see you in blue worsted stockings, only the finest silks for you."

"If you must know Mr Darcy, I do not wear any stockings, well… not this time of year… see!" she said as she pulled up the hem to her skirt slightly, to show off her delicate ankles.

"Give me strength! Please Elizabeth, why do you tease me so?" Elizabeth giggled and hid her feet from his gaze once more.

As she looked back up from her hems, she caught sight of a chain in his waistcoat pocket. "Oh, you have a fob watch, may I see it?" she asked, knowing that her father took a keen interest in timepieces.

"This?" Darcy said, pulling on the chain, "It is a locket."

As he handed it to Elizabeth, he watched her open the front clasp. "What is it? It looks like a dry weed," she said, as she looked down at a small piece of plant, which sat under the glass cover.

"It is a flower that fell from your hair, on our first meeting. I pressed it and had it mounted, as you see."

"And you carry this around with you?" Elizabeth asked.

"It reminds me of you. You know how I feel, Elizabeth, I only wish you felt the same."

"Who says I do not," she said solemnly, but gazed down at the piece of jewellery, deep in thought.

"Please Lizzy, I implore you, tell me what the matter is?"

Elizabeth shivered at his use of her pet name. "Mr Darcy… I…. I…" she stuttered, but struggled to say anything beyond that.

"Please, it cannot be as bad as what I am thinking right now. Are you ill? Are you dying?" he whispered, his voice almost failing him.

"No! Nothing like that, it is just… oh dear!" she chastised herself. "I need to say something first, before I give my reply. Do not think ill of me when I start to explain, for it is all innocent, nothing untoward has happened.

"Last year, I was walking out in the early morning, as I normally do. It was wintertime and the ground was icy under foot. I slipped when I tried to climb a slope near Oakham Mount and I fell and ended up in a nearby ditch. As a result I broke something that was precious to me," she said, as she looked up at his expression, which seemed confused.

"You broke what?"

She closed her eyes, as she did not wish to see his reaction and whispered, "My barrier."

Elizabeth waited for a gasp, but was met with silence. She had anticipated him to make some sort of excuse and end his connection with her. When she did not hear anything from his lips, she cautiously opened one eye and looked up at him through her squint. She was shocked to see him looking back at her smiling. "This is what you have been struggling with? The reason you would not entertain our courtship?"

"Yes," she said in disbelief at his reaction. Why was he smirking? Was he mocking her reason? Did he believe her? "You do not believe me, do you," she said as she started to sob.

"Why would I not believe you? Elizabeth look at me," he asked as he tried to settle her down before her relatives noticed. Luckily, they were at the far end of the lake, so could not hear her cries. "It does not matter one jot. If you say you are virtuous, then you are virtuous, I trust you implicitly, I have no doubt in what you say."

"Then why was you smirking at me?"

"I was not smirking, I was smiling in relief. Darling, I find it astonishing that you were willing to put your life on hold for such a small issue, did you think I would walk away at such a revelation?"

"Yes, I thought you would run a mile. Mother has told me several times, that no man would want me now and that I would have to entice them into the marriage bed, not knowing of what they will find. Are you saying you do not mind?"

"No, I do not, in actual fact, it is a relief for I will not have to hurt you, if we were indeed to wed, which is what I am hoping for."

Elizabeth's emotions overtook her once more and she started to sob again. "Now why are you crying?"

"Because I am so happy, you do not know what a relief this has been."

"Dry those pretty eyes of yours, I do not wish to see them all red and puffy." Darcy wished for nothing more than to take her into his arms and hold her close to him. However, the fact that Mr and Mrs Gardiner were in view, would not allow his urges to be fulfilled. "I wish I could hold you now, please do not cry, as it tugs at my heart when I see you like this."

Elizabeth gave him a shy smile, as she tried to control her sobs. "I do not deserve you, I have done nothing to make you love me."

"On the contrary, although you took me by surprise with your beauty on our first encounter, it was your mouth that also pleased me."

"My mouth?" she gasped, as she placed her finger upon her lips, thinking he was wanting to kiss her once more.

"Well, what came out of it. I have never had someone shout at me as you had, when I nearly knocked you over with my horse and when you thought me a libertine and such," that caught my interest.

"You didn't nearly knock me over, you did!" she frowned.

"There it is again, oh Lizzy, you are so refreshing."

"So no one argues with you?"

"No woman, us men banter with each other well enough, but most women just purr and coo at me, hoping for me to notice them. You, however, did the total opposite and that is what turned my head, well that and your ample bosom," he laughed.

"Mr Darcy!" Elizabeth chastised, but it only made Darcy laugh even more.

"So you are relieved to have told me, and more so, that I have accepted what you have said?" Elizabeth nodded her reply. "Believe me, you are not the only woman to face such an ordeal, I have heard of some ladies of the ton receive the same injuries, whilst riding on horseback and they had carried out what your mother suggested. I know of at least two men in the mens club have discovered on their wedding night of their wives situation and neither reacted positively. They were so angry that they did not know before hand and felt entrapped by their wives. I am sure one even stopped his ministrations during the course of the wedding night, only to later annul the marriage."

As the morning progressed, Mr Darcy joined Mr Gardiner in a spot of fishing. The older gentleman took delight in waging a bet, to see who would catch the most trout. Darcy did not care to win the wager, so in his efforts, he let half of his fish go, whilst Mr Gardiner was not looking. "I am sure you caught more than three fish," he stated at the end of the morning.

"Oh, I do not know, there only seems to be three in my net," he fibbed, "As you have five, I declare that you have won the bet. So what is your prize?" Darcy asked.

"I wish for nothing sir, I am just pleased to be your guest here, in such a fine house and maybe the offering of trout on my plate at the end of the day, would not go amiss" he smiled.

After luncheon, the party separated for a short while. Mr and Mrs Gardiner sat on the veranda, taking in the tranquillity of their surroundings and Darcy had to speak with Mrs Reynolds on matters of the household. Elizabeth twiddled her thumbs before remembering the pianoforte in the music room.

As she made her way towards the instrument to marvel at its magnificence once more, she felt a presence behind her. "Will you play for me?" Darcy asked, as he entered the room.

Elizabeth turned and saw him standing just inside of the doorway, "Oh! I thought you were with the housekeeper."

"Yes, but it only took a few minutes," he stated, as he moved to take a seat on the settee.

She spied the pile of sheet music on the table and fingered her way through the top selection. "Ah, here is one, I do so love this," she said as she saw a manuscript of one of her favourite pieces. "I did not know they did this in piano? It looks like it has been transcribed by hand."

She had only played three bars, before Darcy shot to his feet and came to her side, beckoning her to stop. She looked up and saw his eyes glazed, threatening tears, "Please do not play that, I did not realise that particular piece of music was there. I should have remembered, when you mentioned it had been handwritten."

"Whatever is the matter?" she said with concern, for she could see that he was out of sorts, at her choice of music.

"Lacrymosa was played at my father's funeral, I have not been able to listen to it since. Please forgive me for my abruptness earlier."

"Of course, there is nothing to forgive." Now eagerly thumbing her way through the remainder of the music, she came across Beethoven's Piano Sonata. She lifted the sheet music to show Darcy and he smiled his agreement. "One of my favourites, Miss Elizabeth." Now returning to the settee, he settled himself down to listen to her performance of a most magical sound.

"You played that so well, you must play more, whilst you are here."

"I played tolerably well, it is a fine instrument indeed and it beckons me to play at my best, for it only deserves such attentions."

"Do you play often at home?" Darcy asked.

"Only when I have a chance, for Mary is fixed to it, like a fly to a cow pat," she laughed.

"What a horrid description you provide, I am sure she is nothing like such a small creature. Although, I get your intended meaning."

"I am sorry for such a saying, it is just we use it all the time at home, Lydia thought of it first and then it just stuck."

"Poor Mary," Darcy chuckled, "how she must despise you all."

"On the contrary, she laughed so much at Lydia's first use of the expression, that we kept it up."

"And how should I describe your playing?"

"As you see fit, for it cannot be worse than Mary's lot."

"How about, sounds as arousing as she who plays."

"Arousing?"she asked, as her brow twitched upwards.

Darcy sat down next to her on the piano stool, so close that she could feel his body heat, bathing her in his warmth. "You know you are arousing to me," he said as he ran his hand up and down her back.

"I have come to realise that," she managed to breathe out as she weakened. The sensation of his fingers gliding across her person, overtook her sensibilities and she could do nothing other than absorb the exquisite feelings he was invoking. She understood his wandering eyes, for they briefly deviated to her lips before returning to peer into the windows of her soul. Perceiving this as an invite, she moved forward and kissed him. Darcy's breathing faltered in reaction to the contact and his hand that had been running the length of her back, was now placed firmly upon it and he drew her into him. Elizabeth's hand reached up, where she placed it onto the side of his cheek and felt the odd sensation of his facial hair upon his cheeks. Burying her fingers into the small hairs, she rubbed their tips deep into the fuzz, making Darcy's eyes flutter closed. As they continued to kiss, Elizabeth felt his other hand come around her person and rest just to the side of her breast, making her gasp.

"Is my hand not welcome?" he breathed.

"No, it just took me by surprise."

"What about this?" he said, as his thumb extended and rubbed its pad across her nipple, which had spilt over the top of her stays."

Elizabeth let out a moan and fell against his chest, for she was almost undone by his actions."

"I take it you like that?" he smiled at her nod. "Lizzy, there are many sensations you are not aware of, which we could experience, but only when we are married."

"But you have yet to ask me," she breathed, still feeling the sensations of his thumb, which had yet to cease its ministrations.

"I have not asked, as I am unsure what your answer will be," he stated, "We will both know when it is time." Elizabeth could not answer, for she was so exhilarated by his attentions, that she did not regard what he had said.

She gazed up at him from where she rested upon his chest and silently pleaded with him to kiss her once more. It did not take Darcy much encouragement to act on such a look, and it was a matter of moments before they were in another passionate embrace. Their tongues danced together as their pulses raced. Elizabeth thought her heart would jump out of her chest at its rapid beating, she broke from the kiss and flopped her head back, in order to catch her breath. Darcy saw the advantage of this, as it exposed her neck and breast. He leaned down and placed wet kisses down her throat and onto her bosom, as far as he could before the hindrance of her bodice stopped him from trespassing any further. Elizabeth thought she was going to die, for surely no one could be this out of sorts and not have a heart attack.

However, in the fogginess of his mind, Darcy heard footsteps outside of the room. "There is someone coming, we must stop!" he said as he got up and went back to the settee, but not before adjusting himself. As he turned, he noticed Elizabeth rather flushed, "Oh Lizzy! You look really red, can you calm yourself?"

"How the hell do I do that? You have just nearly killed me with your actions," she panicked.

"Come here and sit on the settee and bow your head down, as though you are recovering from a fainting spell, I will act as though I am attending to your needs. Do you have smelling salts?"

"No, I do not carry them around with me."

"Oh, I have some brandy, I will pour you a glass, say you come over faint and this will help."

"I am not sure it will work, I am flushed, you go pale when you faint."

"They will not see initially, bow your head," he said, as she sat beside him.

Taking a glass of brandy, Darcy knelt beside her, acting as though he was concerned. Elizabeth began to giggle. "Stop giggling, you will give us away," he chastised but had to hold back his smirk. The door opened and aunt Gardiner came into the room, "There you are, we wondered where you were… what is the matter?"

"She felt ill, it must be the heat, I am giving her a brandy to help, although I am not sure now it will help, as it tends to make your blood heat," Darcy said, doubting his own idea. Before Darcy could remove the glass from Elizabeth's hand, she gulped down the amber liquor in one. "Careful, it is strong," he said, watching her gasp for air, as the liquid burnt her throat.

"Gosh! That _is_ strong, not like father's" she croaked. "I think I better take a rest in my room."

As she made her way to the door with her aunt, she glanced around and winked at Darcy.

Elizabeth rested for the rest of the afternoon. Laying down on top of her bed, she observed the chair, which Darcy had sat in the night before. _Maybe I should put a brandy out for him this evening?_ she giggled to herself, thinking it a great idea, for he would surely end up in a double dilemma. Firstly, he would wonder why the liquor had been left out in the first place in such a location and secondly, if he drank it, would it give cause for concern as to who had taken it.

She had never felt this mischievous in her life. _Why has he brought out the clown in me?_ she thought, _father is the only one to do that and that is usually when I am his accomplice._

After dinner, Darcy remembered that he had yet to show Elizabeth the library. "I seem to remember you are a keen reader," he said, as he remembered her book on magic. "I have an extensive library here at Pemberley, I would be happy to show it to you."

"Uncle, would it be acceptable if Mr Darcy showed me the library, we will keep the door open."

"Yes, that will be fine, but only for a short while, it is getting late," Mr Gardiner said, looking at the clock on the mantelpiece.

As Darcy opened the door, the smell of old books and bees wax hit Elizabeth's senses. As she walked into the room, she was momentarily stunned. "Dear lord! How many books do you have?" she asked.

"I do not know. It is the work of around four generations, some of the books in here are older than the house. My grandfather's father started the collection and I think his lot was around two thousand books. Each heir has added to it since."

"And how many have you added?" Elizabeth asked, as she gazed up at the twenty foot high bookshelves, wondering how on earth anyone would be able to reach the top shelf.

"Not that many, maybe a few hundred or so, I do not remember. I tend to buy books, when I am in London, and I have only really added to it in the past five years."

As Elizabeth gazed around the room, she realised that it was not just books that were filling the shelves. "You have an Astrolabe and a Globe, was someone in your family a keen sailor _or was he a pirate_?" she laughed.

"If only, that was father's hobby, although he did not venture far, for all he had was a rowing boat that he used on the lake," he laughed. "I remember once he took me out on it when I was about ten, the thing capsized and we ended up in the water. I don't think father used it after that… well, certainly not with me, as he blamed me for rocking it too much."

"Do you still have it?" Elizabeth asked, hoping they could once again take it out on the water.

"Yes, but it is probably in a poor state of repair, I doubt it is even buoyant. I do have another, that I use to check the lake each year."

"Oh, I would love it if you would take me out on it," she smirked.

"Would you now," he purred as he walked up behind her.

They were out of sight of the vestibule, for Elizabeth had ended up behind one of the free standing bookshelves, at the far end of the room. As Darcy encircled his arms around her from behind, Elizabeth leaned back against his chest. Darcy instinctively placed his cheek on her temple and breathed in the lavender scent of her hair. "Oh Lizzy, I wish you could stay longer, are you sure you have to leave at the end of the week?" he sighed.

"Yes, I am afraid so, aunt and uncle wish to see Matlock and then we journey south. I am beginning to feel so content here, Mr Darcy."

"I think it is time you called me William, don't you?"

Elizabeth turned in his arms, which made Darcy slightly loosen his grip of her, "Do you not like Fitzwilliam?" she asked.

"Not really, it reminds me of being chastised as a child. William is easier anyway, especially in the throws of passion," he smirked.

"Oh! That is rather brazen of you to say that."

"Well it is true, you try calling out Fitzwilliam over and over again, it ends up a bit of a mouthful, and to be honest the only mouthful I wish for ….." Before he could finish, Elizabeth planted a kiss upon his lips.

"Now who is being brazen, I do not think we should be doing this, not with your aunt and uncle next door."

"So when should we be doing this?" she teased.

"I can think of a few situations," he said as he returned the kiss, but had moved across her face and neck, a movement almost mirroring his first embrace of her. "Darling, I am going to die at the end of the week with a broken heart," he whispered, but continued his sweet caresses about her person.

"William?"

"Yes?"

"I think I can feel you."

Darcy's head shot back up from suckling the crook of her neck to face her, "What do you mean?"

Elizabeth did not know how to put it into words, so she wiggled her fanny against his bulge, to indicate what she meant. "Ah! Lizzy! Please do not do that, I am trying so hard, but I will end up losing it."

"Did you not like it?" she giggled.

"Yes, beyond words, but it makes me want for more and I know that cannot happen," he sighed, "I think you better go back to the parlour, I will follow in a short while."

"You not accompanying me back?"

"No Lizzy, I am rather afflicted, I need a moment or two to calm down," he said as he blew out the air from his lungs. Elizabeth smiled as she turned and walked out the room and into the parlour, where her aunt and uncle had been discussing his fishing efforts for the day.

"What has you so happy, my dear," Mrs Gardiner asked.

"Mr Darcy has a row boat, I begged him to take me out on the lake in it tomorrow," she beamed.

Five minutes later Darcy returned to the party, without a hair out of place. The remainder of the evening was spent in a more sedate manner of discourse.

* * *

On retiring later that evening, Elizabeth entered her rooms and was immediately drawn to her pillow, for she saw upon it a single red rose. As she picked up the flower to smell its fragrance, her aunt came into the room. "Lizzy, what have you there?" she asked.

"I found it on my pillow," she beamed with delight.

"Oh, a declaration of love?" Mrs Gardiner stated, making Elizabeth blush, which allowed her aunt to conclude that her niece found this notion not unwelcoming. "I take it you like him more than just _pleasing_?" Elizabeth nodded shyly, for she had to admit now that her feelings of the gentleman were far more.

Her aunt left her to ready for bed, which allowed Elizabeth to contemplate her words. As she lay in bed, she accepted that she was in great danger of swooning and allowing him to take liberties, but did she not enjoy what he had bestowed on her so far? It was not as if she had done anything of real concern, was it? It was not as if she had lifted her skirts to him, beckoning him to move between her legs and take her standing against a wall like some whore. The thought of that, however, made her react and she felt her nether region tingle at the prospect of his weight against her, imprisoning her body between the wall panelling and his own firm torso.

.*.

" _What are you doing in my room?" she begged the stranger._

" _I have come to take you again. It has been a while since you dreamt of me, I had feared you had forgotten me," he said as he moved closer to her. "I wish to feel you around me, once more."_

" _Here? In the guest room?" she asked as she looked around at the plush cream drapes and bedding._

" _Why ever not? It is my home, as you know. What better place to make love to my mate, my love, the only woman that I have wanted, will ever want," he breathed into her ear._

 _The hot breath made her head fall back against the panelled wall, she could feel her fanny begin to throb and without thought she lifted her skirts to allow him to see what she had to offer."_

" _Oh heaven!" he cried out, as her lifted skirts revealed her femininity, already glistening with arousal._

 _She let out a small whimper as the stranger's fingers came into contact with her mons pubis, which evolved into a groan when his fingers lowered and sank into her folds. "So lovely, such a sweet woman you are, heaven cannot describe the essence you emit. It is so potent, it is elixir for the wounded, a drug for the addicted and liquor for the permanently inebriated."_

 _She could feel his body press against her and his yard was evident from the sensation she felt on her hip. She could tell he was unbuttoning his front flap to his breeches in preparation to his taking of her, something that she needed, desired. If she could not have it in her waking hours, then she would relish it, during her slumber._

 _He thrust his cock into her and she groaned her reaction to his filling her to the hilt. As he moved within her core, he found the sensation of her lips upon the crook of his neck tantalising, and it was not long before he came undone._

.*.

Darcy had ventured into her room once more, whilst she was asleep, and took to sitting in the corner. However, he noticed that she was not in a peaceful sleep, for she was moving in such a way, that made him believe she was having a salacious dream. Her mumbles that spilt from her lips were to confirm his thoughts, for he was sure he heard her say 'cock' and 'touch me.'

This made him uncomfortable, but he was not willing to relinquish his seat and remove himself from her closeness. He watched as she moved in such a way, as though she was making love to a nonentity. Her hips bucked and her back arched, as she groaned her reactions to her dream's lover.

She woke once more, having been aroused almost to her peak, but as soon as she was conscious, she could smell Darcy's scent and knew he was in the room, so allowed him the impression she was still in slumber. With her arousal almost at its peak, she did what she thought she would never have the courage to do.

Darcy's eyes were now fixed on the woman in front of him, he saw a slight movement of her hand beneath the sheet, heading towards her pudenda. _Shit! She is going to touch herself,_ he thought as he closed his eyes, but opened them immediately, as he could not stand the torture of not seeing her. He did not think she would do such an act during consciousness, so assumed she was still reacting to her salacious dream.

As she fondled her private area, Darcy witnessed her beginning to build. He sat there in the relative quietness of the room, but was drawn to the fact that he could hear the sounds of her wetness, as she flicked her fingers through her folds. _Fuck! How am I to endure this? I want to bury myself inside of her. I cannot leave, yet to stay will give me such sweet torture,_ he thought as his fingers itched.

He could not bear it anymore, his cock was going to erupt inside his breeches, if he was not careful and the only solution was to release it from its confines and allow his seed to spill from his body. As he came close, he watched Elizabeth come undone, arching her back from the bed and whimpering her release into her pillow. He himself, had a handkerchief ready and expelled his seed into the material and flopped back into the chair, where he calmed and tidied his attire. Spying the full glass of brandy next to him on the table, he picked it up and drank it quickly, hoping it would ease his concerns over what had just happened. Elizabeth was now lying peacefully in her bed, giving no indication of what had just occurred. _Did I fall to sleep and dream it all?_ he pondered.

He stood and walked over to her, watching her stillness. As he gave her a gentle kiss goodnight, he heard her whisper his name in her sleep. "Sleep my darling, dream only of me," he whispered back, as he gave her one final kiss upon her forehead. As the door closed, Elizabeth smiled contently to herself once more.


	7. Lord! You're Wearing Breeches

**18th August 1811**

The following morning, Elizabeth was first to enter the breakfast room. She was at the buffet when Darcy entered, but he stopped abruptly in the doorway. "Elizabeth, I did not anticipate you to rise again so early."

She smiled, but a blush formed upon her cheeks, as she remembered her actions from the night before, _What am I to do? Act normally after he has seen me come undone?_ She pondered, but concluded that was the only way forward. "Good morning William, I had a wonderful rest and woke up refreshed, the room is so comfortable."

"I am glad you are finding it to your liking," he smiled, but Elizabeth could see that he was not his usual self. Had being in her presence after the previous night affected him also? Of course it had, for he was equally uncomfortable as she was, and both were fighting their embarrassment.

Trying to keep the conversation flowing, Elizabeth managed to continue her discourse, "I would doubt you would find anyone on this earth, who would not find them to their liking. Such luxury and comfort and the atmosphere is so calming, such a fine resting place."

"If you think they are fine, you should see the mistresses rooms, but I do not think it would be a good idea to show you at present."

"Why ever not? I would love to see them," she said.

"Because… I would not be able to get the picture of you in that room out of my head, and to have that in my mind and not in my bed, would be too much to bear. When I gaze upon you in those rooms, it will be as my wife and nothing else," he cooed, as he walked towards her.

Elizabeth could feel his energy the closer he got, she felt her guard weaken as he stood before her. She had to give some sort of response, the only thing on her mind was why hadn't he asked her? She knew he wanted to, so why was he waiting. "But you have yet to ask," she said shyly.

"I am glad you said _yet_ , for it will happen… soon, my love. As I have already said, we will both know when the time is right."

 _But the time is right, William. Can you not see it? Can you not feel my love for you? Ask me now!_ she pleaded silently.

As the rest of the party entered the room, each broke from their own thoughts. Darcy pulled out the chair to his right, offering it to Elizabeth, as he wished for her to be close to him again. As she took her seat, he caressed her arm with his thumb, rubbing up and down her bare skin in a slow gentle tempo. A salacious little private moment had been had between them, without the rest of the occupants in the room noticing. Elizabeth looked up at him, when he took his place and witnessed a glimmer of a smile form on his face, when he glanced momentarily back at her. She blushed as she realised he was playing with her, hoping to get a reaction. S _o Mr Darcy, it is like that now, is it? s_ he pondered, thinking of how she could retaliate.

"So, did you manage to get the boat out of the outbuilding?" she asked, hoping that he had arranged for the watery excursion. Darcy smiled and pointed his knife, which he was holding, in the direction of the window. As Elizabeth looked out across the lawns, she could see the row boat on the lake, a footman was aboard arranging something.

"Wonderful!" she exclaimed, "I cannot wait! But what is he doing?" she puzzled. Darcy looked out and stated that he was covering the boat with a couple of blankets, so as not to chance splinters. Cushions were also being added for comfort, so that if she cared, she could lay down and relax, whilst he rowed the length of the lake.

"I think I will need to change my clothes, for this dress is not appropriate for such an activity," she stated, knowing exactly how to pay him back for the audacity of touching her in such a way.

As they finished their meal, Elizabeth returned to her rooms and went to her trunk, which had not been moved from the corner of the room. She pulled out her waistcoat and breeches that she had the insight to bring with her and placed them onto the bed. As she was busying herself, her aunt came into the room to ask what she was doing, but stilled when she saw the garments on the bed. "Lizzy, surely you cannot be serious in wearing those? What will people think of you?"

"Aunt, he is taking me out on a boat. I cannot get into it with all the material a dress possesses, it would hinder my step and I may end up falling into the water. Also, if I were to fall overboard or the boat capsized, at least I wont drown with the weight of several yards of soaked fabric wrapping around my legs. The breeches are the best option, there is no one here that will object, surely you and uncle will not and I know that William will be fine, he will see the logic in my choice."

"I can see your point, but Lizzy, it shows everything."

"Everything? I am sure I will be fully covered, I have even taken to wearing stockings, which I do not usually do this time of year."

"And what is that?" Mrs Gardiner said, pointing to the waistcoat, "I hope you are wearing something underneath it."

"I have adapted one of my dresses and made a shirt like garment for underneath, it will look well enough, please do not fret."

When she changed, she looked at herself in the mirror. Gazing back at herself, she did not know what to think, for she looked like a dandy.

As Elizabeth descended the stairs after changing, she saw Darcy in the vestibule. As he turned towards her, he dropped the small wicker basket that he had been holding and gaped at her. Elizabeth looked up from the items that had spilt out onto the floor to his face and laughed.

" _Whatever is the matter William, you will catch flies if you are not careful_ ," she teased, as she watched the man in front of her regain some sense and closed his mouth.

"Erm?.. I… Err?.." is all Darcy could sound.

" _Oh dear, it seems you have lost your tongue. I hope not as I have taken quite a fancy to it recently_ ," she giggled, as she walked by.

Darcy could do nothing than let out a whimper when she brushed against him with her hips. "Are you not coming William? I thought we were going for this excursion."

"Yes," he said clearing his throat, "It is just… Elizabeth, you cannot go out looking like that," he stuttered.

"Why ever not? I am not getting into the boat in a dress, I will fall and if I were to fall into the water, it will weigh me down. Do you wish for me to drown?"

"Of course not, it is just… Oh Lizzy, you asked me if I was coming and I may well do, in my breeches," he gasped, as he looked down at her nether region. "Fff! They are flap open breeches! Dear god!" he groaned under his breath.

"Do you want me to change?" Elizabeth asked, on seeing his total lack of control.

"No! Just let me get used to it. Good god Lizzy, I cannot keep my eyes off of you," he said as he walked towards her. However, Elizabeth thought she would be escorted outside, but Darcy pulled her into the library and into their corner of the room.

"What are you doing? We should not be in here," she said, as he dragged her into a small secret room hidden by an invisible door in the bookcases. She found herself in a small enclosure of around ten foot square, made from bookcases, sat in the corner was a comfortable chair and a small wine table, where three nondescript books sat.

"No one will know we are in here," he stated, as he moved closer to her. Elizabeth's blood started to pump, as she saw the look upon his face, for she had never seen him so aroused. He brought his lips down to hers and kissed her as he had done the day before, his tongue had traversed her sweet mouth once more and Elizabeth was happy to oblige with her own eagerness. She could feel his hands upon her breasts, now desperate to caress her unrestrained bosom. "You are not wearing any stays!" he gasped.

"No," she managed to breathe out in between heaving breaths.

His hand moved downward, towards her pudenda and rested on the waistband of her breeches. Dare he touch her there? Would she be repulsed? He looked into her eyes, pleading for admittance and as her eyes fluttered closed, she nodded her head slightly to welcome his advances. She could feel his fingers tremble as he unfasten the button on the top right, then the middle, but kept the far left fastened. It was enough for him to slide his hand in and make contact with his universe.

Elizabeth gasped at his touch and Darcy groaned at her wetness, for she was soaked from their initial passions. She had to hold his arms for fear of falling, once he started his ministrations of her femininity. His fingers flitted through her folds and encircled her sensitive spot, a sensation that Elizabeth knew, but discovered was so much more intense, when left to another's charge. His actions were well calculated and eager, but he did not wish to stop, even though he was so desperate to taste her. His desires for her juices overflowed, as her scent penetrated his nostrils, awakening his baser instinct. Finally, he brought his hand up to his lips, where Elizabeth witnessed him sucking his fingers. "What did you do that for?" she questioned in a heady state.

"I wanted to taste you, Lizzy, your sweet nectar beckons me further, for it must be a love potion and I am spellbound. Let me kiss you there, let me bestow such feelings and desires you can never imagine."

"Yes. Worship me, take what I give freely."

As he dropped to his knees, Elizabeth felt the last button at the flap loosen and her lady parts were exposed to him. He gazed upon her femininity, as though it was a painting framed by the fabric of her clothing, before he pulled her to him and into his face. Darcy instinctively run his nose along the front of her crease and breathed in her fragrance. His groan was quiet, but did not go unnoticed by Elizabeth, who let out a small victorious 'yes'. Memories of her dream at Longbourn flooded her thoughts, how he had worshipped her then felt nothing like what she was experiencing now. She had only imagined how it would feel, but it was only a fraction of the sensations she was appreciating at that moment. "William, I am close, she cried out as he continued to flick her bud with the tip of his tongue.

He could feel her legs buckle and managed to keep her standing, as he pushed her back against the bookshelf and his hands assisted in supporting her body, as she climaxed in his face. Darcy slowed his oral movements, in order to feel the slight repetitive twitches of her inner spasms upon his tongue. He longed to push his fingers into her core, but also knew that he had to hold back for he surely would take her complete, if he were to experience the sensation of her warm wet softness of her inner depths. Almost at breaking point he pulled away, hoping a distance would calm his ardour, before he erupted in his breeches. He stood and looked into his lovers eyes, which were still full of want, _he_ was still full of want. "Lizzy, I need to sort myself out, you should leave," he stated, before he lost control, grabbed her and ploughed his cock into her core.

"Why should I leave? Do you not wish me to help?"

Darcy could not say no. He unfastened the flap to his breeches and placed her hand under the hem of his shirt, which had been tucked into the waistband. "Feel me, stroke along its length." He breathed. He felt her gently pull at his boy and removed it from the confines of his clothes, he hissed as he saw her hand run up and down its shaft. As he got his handkerchief ready, he warned her of the imminent ejaculation, for he was not sure she was aware of it. However, as he was about to expel, she fell to her knees and took him into her mouth. As her lips covered his tip, Darcy groaned loudly and pushed his hips forward and so immersing himself deeper into her mouth, where he shuddered his release. Elizabeth did not know what to do, so she just swallowed it, hoping it would not do her any harm. Darcy fell to his knees and kissed her over and over again, I love you so much Lizzy, please marry me, I will not take no for an answer," he pleaded.

"Yes, oh yes darling, of course I will. I love you so much William," she cried.

Darcy picked her up in his arms and sat down in the chair with her curled up on his lap. She spied his locket and pulled it out to look at it once more. Such a detailed intricate design on the casing, not giving any indication as to what lay inside. She sighed as she remembered the day that it had fell from her hair, then remembered something. "Father's flask!"

"Do not worry over that, I still have it. It was a very valuable piece of the puzzle, which led me to you."

"How so? It is just a silver hip flask," she said, puzzled at how he could surmise her name from such a basic item.

"It may well be just a silver hip flask, but it has your father's monogram engraved upon it. Bingley finally worked out to whom it belonged to."

As Darcy gazed at Elizabeth handling his locket, he noticed her breeches were still undone, where he could see his love's womanhood and the dark thatch of hair that covered it. "You have a very pretty fanny, Lizzy," he murmured.

"Oh!" she blushed, "Are you allowed to say that?"

"Why ever not? For it is pretty and sweet, just like its owner," he said, as he kissed the tip of her nose.

"Oh!" she said with a degree of shyness. "Not that I wish to change the subject or indeed move from your embrace, but we will be missed if we do not make haste and go outside," she said, but added after a pause, "Can we keep our betrothal to ourselves for the moment? If uncle knew you have proposed, then he may wish to leave earlier than the end of the week, for he will not want for me to be under the same roof, if there is an understanding."

"I think that is best, I can return to Longbourn once you depart from Matlock, do you know if your father will be back from Bath by then?"

Elizabeth did not have a clue, for there had been no word from him since a few days after he left, to say he had arrived safely. Then she realised something, "Father usually gives uncle total control over my guardianship, whilst we are away, he has a letter to state that fact. I doubt father realised that I would wish to marry at such a time, so did not put in any clauses, so it is assumed, by his omission, that uncle has the power to give his consent."

"I will ask at the end of the week then, I want you for as long as possible."

After calming sufficiently to continue the day, they left the confines of the secret room and made their way outside, where they spotted the Gardiners across the lake. Eager to get into the boat, Elizabeth dragged Darcy along by his arm. Seeing her urgency, he laughed and quickened his pace. As they carefully sat down, in the hopes to not rock the boat and capsize, Elizabeth let out a heavy sigh.

"Are you comfortable, my love?" Darcy purred.

"Yes, exceedingly, I am very comfortable and content with life," she smiled, gazing up at him from her recline, "I love you so much, William."

This declaration brought a grin to his face, for he was at that moment in heaven, or as close as he imagined it would feel like. "You know you have made me the happiest of men, Lizzy, our marriage will be a happy one."

"I know it will be, it is a shame we will be so far from my family though," she pondered aloud. "I will miss Jane terribly."

"She can visit, they all can, but not right away, I wish to have you to myself for at least a month."

"And what should we do during that time?" she asked salaciously.

"Firstly, I will lock you in my bedchambers, where I will make delicious love to you for at least a week, before we are ever to set foot downstairs. Then I will take you in every room in this house."

"Well, you have almost had me in the library, there isn't much left to do," she chuckled.

"It was a miracle that I did not completely take you, I was fighting the most intense feelings I have ever had, I nearly lost control, as I watched you take your pleasure," he stated, but then his expression changed to that of guilt. "I thought I would never compromise a maiden, I thought I had enough willpower to stay off any amount of baser instinct, but you took me by surprise and I could not fend off my animal urges. Please forgive me for my actions this morning, Lizzy."

Elizabeth sat up from her recline, "No! No! Do not blame yourself, William, for it was as much my fault as yours. I should not have teased you with what I am wearing. I knew before I put it on, that you would have some sort of reaction to it, I didn't think it would be so intense, for the both of us."

"But I have compromised you," he said, now deflated.

"And I have taken liberties also, it goes both ways. You did not wish for me to kneel down before you, I did that of my own choosing."

Darcy went to gaze down at his fingers, which were now twiddling into a tangle, but stopped when he noticed Elizabeth's breeches. "Dear God, Lizzy! Your breeches have a wet patch!" he groaned.

"Oh no! Do you have a handkerchief?" she said, panic stricken.

"Yes, but it has my seed on it, you cannot use that! Here, take the napkin from the wicker basket," he said, as he handed her the small hamper.

"Oh, strawberries, were you going to feed them to me?" she smiled.

"Well… yes, there is a rather secluded spot, where I was going to stop and feed them to you. So no eating them now," he laughed, but stopped in order to watch as she tried to discretely dry herself with the napkin.

"That will have to do, I must say that these breeches are very well designed, it is a shame women are not allowed to wear them, for they are rather comfortable and not so hot as a dress in this weather."

"You will permanently have a wet crotch though," he groaned again, thinking of putting his head between her now slightly splayed legs. "Lizzy, do you have to lay like that? You have no idea what it is doing to me."

"It will dry quicker, William, just revert your eyes, maybe concentrate on where you are rowing, if you are indeed rowing," she said, as she gazed out over the water and surveyed their having only moved fifty yards. "Do you think we will get to the secluded area before dark?" she giggled.

Darcy took to rowing the boat as fast as he could, but in doing so, one of the oars came detached from the rowlock and drifted into the water. "Shit!" came a rather angry Darcy.

"Do not swear!" Elizabeth chastised, but all too soon broke her feign shock by giggling like a child.

"Wait, I think I can reach it," he said as he bent across the edge of the boat, but all too soon, he lost his balance and fell into the water with a splash.

"William!" Elizabeth shouted, as she sat up from her slumber.

"I am fine, Lizzy, I am not hurt," he cried out as he grabbed the oar and tried to clamber back into the boat. However, his weight was such that it pulled the boat down so that the Gunwale was level with the water. Elizabeth could feel the boat turn and did not have enough warning to hold on, so as the boat tipped, she slid across, giving more weight to that edge. Within a matter of seconds, the boat turned and Elizabeth fell into the water.

"Lizzy!" he gasped as he took in a mouthful of water from the splash. Darcy could not see her, so dived under the water, but as he did, she came up for air with a splutter.

"William! No!" she cried, but she was relieved when his face appearing not ten inches from hers, with sodden hair that had glued itself to his face.

Darcy wrapped his arm about her waist and they clung to each other, but it was only a few seconds before neither could stop laughing. Mr and Mrs Gardiner saw the whole thing from across the lake and had rushed to the water's edge to help.

"Are you injured?" Mrs Gardiner shouted across.

"No, just rather wet, aunt. I think you need to get help for I do not think that I am decent enough to get out of the water."

"Whatever do you mean?" Darcy said, but looked down into the shallow water and noticed her shirt was rather paper thin and showed her nipples through the sheer translucent fabric. "Fuck Lizzy!" he exclaimed under his breath, so that only she could hear.

"Yes you can, William, but not until we are married," she giggled. This made Darcy roar with laughter, but all too soon he had pulled her down into the depths of the water to plant a kiss upon her lips, before they emerged again, giggling like children.

They knew they could not frolic in the waters for long, so Darcy grabbed Elizabeth by the waist and pulled her to the lakeside. By the time they reached dry land, Mrs Reynolds was waiting with a blanket." Mr Darcy, whatever were you thinking of?" she chastised, "The poor thing will catch a chill."

"What? It is the middle of August, I am sure Miss Bennet quite enjoyed cooling off," he stated still in great humour.

Mrs Reynolds, however, was not best pleased. She marched Elizabeth into the house and up the stairs to the cream rooms, where she had organised for a hot bath to be prepared. On her instruction, she insisted that the lady take a nap after her bathing, to rest her bones.

* * *

Elizabeth woke and dressed in time for dinner. Having spent best part of the afternoon in bed, she felt very well rested. Dinner was a lively affair and many stories were told of how Elizabeth, as a child, resembled that of a tomboy. Darcy thought of how she had grown up, being allowed to act as that of a boy, then realised that she was still of that mind, for surely that would be the reasoning behind her breeches.

As the evening drew on, the party made their way to their bedchambers. Elizabeth anticipated Darcy coming to her that night, but was not sure how to act. He had taken liberties during the morning, but then she had allowed him. Would he continue his attentions, once they were in the privacy of her bedchambers? She realised that as he was not aware of her knowing his presence the previous two nights, she had to allow him to decide what to do.

 **19th August 1811 ~ Sometime After midnight**

Waiting in the darkness, Elizabeth finally fell to sleep, but woke at around three in the morning to a light snore, sounding from the corner of the room. As she turned in her bed, she saw Darcy sitting in his chair with only his breeches and shirt on, for he was bare footed and his neckcloth was missing. _God, he looks divine,_ she mused.

Without even a thought of propriety, she got out of bed and walked over to him. Wishing to be closer, she sat down upon his lap and curled herself up into a ball. This woke Darcy, but he was rather bemused as to what was happening. "What! Where! Lizzy, what are you doing? Dear god, you are naked!" he growled.

Elizabeth did not respond, but wrapped her arms around his neck, holding onto him like a clinging vine. Darcy tried to remove himself from her embrace, but she was having none of it. "William, do not let me go."

"I am sorry, Lizzy, for being in your room. I must admit that I have taken to sitting in here at night, since you arrived," he confessed.

"I know," she whispered.

"You know? But how? You have been asleep have you not?"

"No, I have not, I was awake for most of it," she said, glad that the dimness of the night disguised her blush.

"But… yesterday?" Darcy gasped.

"Yes, I was awake for some of it, I am sorry, I should not have done what I did, but could not help myself."

"Oh my darling," he said as he held her in his arms. "I do need to go, for I will surely finish off what I started this morning," he said as he picked her up and placed her back onto the bed.

"William, please…" she pleaded with outstretched arms.

Darcy was in a dilemma, he wanted to stay. The woman whom he was in love with was laying naked on the bed, beckoning him to join her, but to do so would put her into such a dreadful position. Could he walk away? Should he stay? He did not know what to do so stood gazing upon her for what seemed an eternity.


	8. With This Ring, I Thee Wed

**19th August 1811 -continued**

As he stood there, Darcy could not move, for his mind was in such turmoil. Before him was the most desirable woman he had ever seen, beckoning him to take her. He could hear her siren's song, irresistibly sweet and so hard to ignore. But his own morals made him hesitant to go to her, for he knew that to drink from the forbidden chalice of love was wrong and came with its consequences.

"What is the matter?" Elizabeth whispered, as she sat up in bed.

"I'm struggling with whether or not this is right. Lizzy, I want you so much, but it puts you in great danger, not only will I fully compromise you, but the risk of you ending up with child, before we are wed is too great. I do not wish for our first born to be conceived outside of wedlock."

Darcy sat down on the edge of the bed and turned away from her, as he did not wish to gaze upon her bareness. On seeing him so out of sorts, Elizabeth knelt behind him and entwined her arms about is body, her palms resting upon his chest, in the hopes that her embrace would bring him comfort.

He could feel her breaths on the side of his neck, as she rested her head upon his shoulder. He could not help but rest his own head upon hers. However, it was not long before he could feel her body against his back. "Lizzy, do not press so against me, for I can feel your body's contours."

"Do you wish that I withdraw from you?" she sighed.

"No, I do not know what I want, the feeling is exquisite, but it is oh so alluring." As he turned, he could see her expression, it was of sadness. Her eyes betrayed what she was feeling, deep remorse for what she had tempted him into doing.

"I am sorry, I should not be acting as a wanton hussy, please forgive me," she said as she broke down in tears.

On seeing this, Darcy's heart jumped, "No, do not cry so, darling. If I had not ventured into here, we would not be in this predicament." But all too soon he kissed her tenderly in the hopes to comfort her. Elizabeth responded to his attentions with passion, she longed for him and in that moment, did not care whether or not she would be ruined if he took her. Was he not to be her husband after all? He was already bound to her and he would not break that honour.

Darcy could not fight Elizabeth's pull and his body could not defy his arousal. He pushed her back onto the bed with his own body, weighing her down into the mattress. She submitted to his cause and accepted his advances with eagerness. As they kissed, Darcy could feel the hem of his shirt being pulled out of his breeches, for Elizabeth found the barrier of his clothing a hindrance and wished for nothing more than to have the contact of his skin upon hers.

His struggle to rid himself of the article was swift once he took charge and he carelessly threw it to the floor, where it was met by his discarded breeches soon afterwards. As he lay back down, she could feel the roughness of his hairs against her nipples, which hardened instantly. "Dear god Lizzy, how did you escape any man's attentions before I discovered you?"

"I was waiting for you to find me," she breathed.

His hands roamed her body, his fingers were eager to touch every detail of her person. Her nipples were hard against the soft velvet of his tongue. She groaned when he suckled each breast in turn, alternating between both, until Elizabeth was almost crying out her demands for completion.

"William, I can bear it no longer, I need you inside of me!"

Darcy's cock did not need any further persuasion, for it was fully engorged and awaiting its master's application. Darcy moved between her legs and Elizabeth spread her limbs further to accommodate him. His hand wrapped around his boy, where he pumped himself a few times before placing its tip at the entrance to his universe, but at that moment, he flinched as he regained some of his integrity and pulled away. "NO! NO! I cannot do this!" he cried.

"What?" is all that Elizabeth could say. Still feeling heady, as she languished in the clouds of Utopia.

"I cannot do it, I cannot ruin you," he cried out once more, shaking his head in defiance. He stood and put his clothes back on, bidding her to at least put on her nightgown, which sat on the ottoman at the foot of the bed.

As they both calmed down, Darcy got back onto the bed, "I am sorry Lizzy," he said, as he pulled her into his arms, "I just remembered something father said to me, when I was about twenty and that was _never to take a maiden unless she was my wife_. It is something that I have lived by."

"I remember you saying something similar to me this morning,"

"Yes, but hearing my father's voice in my head, made me stop in my tracks. I cannot act in such a way."

"But you have laid with other women before? Ladies that were not maidens?" she asked. Darcy's silence answered her. Elizabeth was not very upset, for she knew that men in his station usually had a mistress. "How long since you last…"

Darcy told her it had been many months, but that she would be the only woman in his life, his final choice. "Do not think ill of me Lizzy, I have urges and we had an agreement, it was not as if I loved her, we both benefited out of it, I was calmer as a result of my urges being taken care of and I kept her in the lifestyle she desired."

"Do you have any children with her?" Elizabeth asked, but Darcy looked shocked at her question. "It is only that I do not wish to find out in years to come, when some young man or woman comes knocking at the door, asking to see his or her father."

"No Lizzy, no issue from any of them."

"Them!"

"Yes, them… the last was my third mistress," he confessed.

"Oh… Did you love any of them?" she whispered, not sure she wished to know the answer.

"No… You are the only woman I have ever loved and wished for as a wife… Lizzy, this is a very difficult subject for me to discuss, I do not really wish to think of my previous arrangements. Can we just lay quietly and just allow me to hold you for a while, before I return to my room… please."

Darcy held her in his arms, feeling her steady breathing as she fell to sleep. However, this only assisted in Darcy's own slumber and before he knew it he was awakened by a scream coming from the end of the bed.

"Dear lord! What are you doing in my niece's bed?" cried Mrs Gardiner.

Darcy sat bolt upright, as several profanities left his lips in quick succession. He stared at Mrs Gardiner, then his surroundings and on realising where he was, turned to gaze upon Elizabeth, who was still lying down, eyes wide and non reactive.

"Well?" Mrs Gardiner commanded once more.

"It is not what it looks like, I only held her whilst she slept, I have not taken her," he spluttered out, as he got up off of the bed.

"Aunt, he has done nothing wrong, we are to marry."

"So you expect me to believe that you are betrothed and slept in the same bed, all night, without intercourse?"

"Yes, that is what happened," Darcy said, now annoyed at being questioned on his words.

"That is hard to swallow, Mr Darcy. You are a hot blooded man, are you not? Are you telling me that you have not done _anything?_ "

"No, I cannot say that," he said, as he bowed his head in shame.

"So you have compromised her?" Mrs Gardiner asked firmly, her countenance now rather more rigid and forceful than before.

Darcy whispered his affirmation and turned to Elizabeth for her reaction, "Sorry Lizzy, I could not lie."

"Get dressed Elizabeth… and Mr Darcy, I will wake Mr Gardiner, you need to discuss matters with him, alone!" And with that Mrs Gardiner marched Darcy from Elizabeth's bedchambers and went to speak to her husband.

* * *

Within half an hour, the gentlemen were in Darcy's study.

"So… Mr Darcy, you seem to think that because we are guests under your roof, you have taken it upon yourself to ruin my niece," Mr Gardiner stated with all the civility he could muster, under the present circumstances.

" _Ruin?_ Please believe me that I have not ruined her, well… not in the context you are referring to. I have not taken her virtue, she is still a maiden," Darcy explained, as he got up from his chair and started to pace the room.

"Mr Darcy, my wife caught you, lying in bed next to her, are you telling me you did not take her?" he questioned.

"No, I did not. I have, as you have seen, compromised her, there is no denying that and I will not lie. But I did not take her completely, you must believe me."

"Are you saying this, so that you do not have to marry her? I feel that gentlemen of your status find it all too easy to bed a girl and then leave them to their lot in life. I did not think it of you, I thought you to have more honour than that... I could see an attraction, but not enough to warrant marriage, now I see what it was all about."

"No! I have already asked Miss Elizabeth to marry me, I proposed yesterday morning and she accepted me. I did not come to you for permission straight away, as I thought you would all leave Pemberley and return to Lambton, whilst you were in the area. I did not wish to be parted from Miss Elizabeth, so we agreed to keep it a secret until the last day, then I would have sought you out for a private interview."

"Well, that was all very convenient for you. It is all well and good stating you proposed, but as she was the only witness, it would have been her word against yours. Who do you think people would be more inclined to believe? _Hm?_ A lowly country squire's daughter or the master of a fine estate, such as yours?"

Darcy saw red at his assumptions. He sat back down at his desk and opened the top draw, where he pulled out a rather official looking document and threw it across his desk at Mr Gardiner. "There! Is that enough proof for you?"

Mr Gardiner took the papers and unfolded them, to his surprise he was looking at a special marriage licence from the Doctors Commons in London, between his niece and the gentleman before him. "I procured it when I was in London, I took a detour before arriving at Pemberley and obtained it then, knowing that I would eventually propose. It is dated a week ago, Mr Gardiner, four days before you arrived in the area."

"This is all very well, sir, but it still does not explain your presence in my nieces bed this morning."

"Please sir," he begged, "I love Elizabeth, I have done so since I first set eyes on her. I tried to pursue her in Hertfordshire, but she would not entertain the idea of a courtship. Then after I realised you were to be here in my home county, I could do nothing other than to follow. Elizabeth was fighting her feelings for me since the start and has finally accepted how she feels, she loves me and I am besotted with her. I love her more than my own life, Mr Gardiner. Have you ever felt as if you would step into the pathway of a flying bullet to save a loved one, only to die in their place? Or give up on everything you own and all your family and friends to be with that one person? That is how strong I feel for her. I would walk away from Pemberley, my sister and cousins, the money, everything, if it was the only way I could have Elizabeth. Please do not belittle my feelings for her."

Mr Gardiner sat there and contemplated what the gentleman had said, for surely he had real proof that he intended to marry her and his words sounded sincere. He knew there was only one course of action, that was to have them wed immediately. "Do you have a parson, who can wed you immediately?" Mr Gardiner asked.

"The parson at Kympton can wed us, he is an old friend so will rearrange his timetable if needs be. So you are giving permission for us to marry?" he asked softly.

"Yes, it seems I do not have any choice, at least she will not be with child before the vows are exchanged," he said, raising an eye brow.

He could not believe his ears, but then realised the older gentleman could do nothing other than accept their situation.

Darcy stood and walked over to the corner of the room, where a large wooden box sat. Lifting the lid, the older gentleman could see that it contained a cast iron strong box, the Wooden furniture had been designed to hold such an article.

On opening it, he pulled out a case and placed it on the desk. As he opened the lid, Mr Gardiner saw a fine assortment of velvet covered jewellery boxes. "These were my mother's, I wish for Elizabeth to have these as soon as we are wed, but this item," he said as he held out a small box, "will be placed upon her finger this afternoon." On opening it, Mr Gardiner saw an exquisite diamond ring, surrounded by many smaller rubies.

"It is a fine ring, Mr Darcy, it is just a shame that all this had to be done under such conditions. I hope you will be good to her, she deserves it."

"I will look after her, sir, she will want for nothing. My affections will not wane, my attentions will be constant and I will give her the world, if she wishes it."

* * *

After their discussion ended, Mr Gardiner went back to Elizabeth's room, where she remained with her aunt. On entering, he beckoned them into the sitting room, to discuss what had occurred downstairs.

"Lizzy, I am very disappointed in you. I thought you had more morals than to allow Mr Darcy to take advantage of you in such a way," he stated as if he were her father. "Do not fret, he has already explained he did not take your virtue. But Lizzy, to sleep with him all night? I do not doubt he took some amount of liberties with you, he has not acted as an honourable gentleman and you have not acted as a lady should," he said as she shook his head in disappointment.

"Uncle, I could not help it, I know I acted as I should not, but I wanted to. Mr Darcy tried to resist me, but I allured him into my bed, it was me that was at fault, do not blame William, please."

"Well, we have already made arrangements regarding your future, so there is no chance of this happening again."

"What do you mean? No uncle! Do not take me away from here, why can we not stay? I promise to not entertain him privately again," she pleaded.

"No, you mistake me my dear, for Mr Darcy is going to ride to Kympton this morning to bring back the parson, you will be married before the day is out."

"Married! But how? The banns have to be read back in Longbourn."

"No, Mr Darcy has had a special licence ready for the past week. He anticipated he would ask for your hand, when he left Hertfordshire and obtained the licence, _en route_."

"Mrs Darcy! Oh how wonderful that sounds," she smiled. "Aunt, I need to prepare, can I borrow your pale blue dress, it is much finer than any of my own," Elizabeth asked as she jumped up from her seat,

"I suppose so, you can also borrow my pearl strands and combs for your hair, if you wish."

As Elizabeth readied herself, Darcy made his way by carriage to Kympton, to meet with the parson.

"Wickham, so good to see you again, old chap!" Darcy called out to the clergyman, who was in his garden, picking roses for his dear wife.

"Darcy, what calls you here at this time of day?" Wickham responded with a happy smile for his dear friend.

"I need your assistance on a very important matter," he smirked.

"No! It cannot be, are you getting married? I can tell that look a mile off, all my grooms have it," he laughed, "It is about time you settled down. Married life is bliss."

"Oh! How is Charlotte? I would imagine quite tired with the little one only being a few months old."

"She is well. It is hard for her, but we have help, her mother comes about most days and helps with chores, although I do wish this living allowed for a nursemaid."

"All I can say is good job I talked you out of your appalling behaviour at university, even if I had to tie you to that chair for three days, whilst preaching moral standards at you. Luckily, you saw the benefits of those morals before it was too late. You could have easily ended up a lowly soldier living a life of debauchery and gambling, leaving debts in your shadows."

"I am thankful to the lord also for allowing me to see my ways, my life is blissful now and I have a wife who accommodates me very well," he smiled. "So, you are to be married, do you have everything in order, licence… permission… lady?"

"Yes, everything needed is back at Pemberley. I have a special licence from London I acquired last week, Elizabeth's uncle has guardianship at the moment and has documents to prove it from her father and Lizzy is also there," he beamed a glorious smile.

"Well, sounds like everything is in order, I take it you will give her your mother's wedding ring?"

"Yes, I did wonder if Georgie should have it, but now I have Elizabeth, it cannot be on any other hand, but hers."

"Oh how is Georgiana, I have not seen her for around three years now, I hope she is doing well?"

"Exceedingly well, she is at finishing school now, so will not be there today. It is a shame for she would dearly love to see you."

"Come, we must go inside, whilst I get my things together."

By three o'clock, vows had been exchanged and Darcy had placed the ruby and diamond ring upon Elizabeth's finger. "Now, Mrs Darcy, what are we going to do for the rest of the day?" he smirked.

"Well, as aunt and uncle have gone to Matlock and allowed Reverend Wickham to ride the carriage with them, we seem to be at a loss," she smiled.

At this, Darcy picked her up and did not dally in his pace, as he entered the vestibule and almost ran up the stairs with her in his arms, heading towards the master's suite. The door to his bedchambers was slightly ajar, so he kicked it open with his foot and the sound of it slamming shut, resonated throughout the house, as far as the servant's quarters.


	9. Consummation

As he slammed the door shut, several chambermaids, who had been preparing the room, jumped and scuttled into the direction of the dressing area, where they exited through the servant's door. Both Darcy and Elizabeth did not notice, other than the distant rustling of several skirts, as the maids scampered out of the room, in a panic.

"So you think we are at a loss?" he smirked. He breathed in the scent of her hair, as he delicately kissed the dip in her neck, which sent tingles across Elizabeth's whole body. His hold of her in his arms was firm, proving his yearning for her closeness. She let out a moan as she turned her head towards him, stroking her cheek against his own, where she felt the roughness of his shaven jaw.

Their eyes made contact once more, as they drew ever closer. Their initial kisses were soft and delicate, but it was Darcy's undoing when Elizabeth took his bottom lip and deliberately bit it, trying to provoke a reaction. Darcy did not anticipate such an act and his cock stood to attention at this small, but significant deed. His passions were elevated from wanting to needing her so desperately.

Darcy gently let go of Elizabeth's legs, allowing her to slowly slide down the length of his body, as she retained her grip around his neck. As she came to stand in front of him, his hands returned to her and were firmly placed upon her rump, each groping its own cheek and pulling her fanny against his aroused boy. "Good grief, I am going to explode in my breeches, if I am not careful," he growled.

"I think we need to get you out of them then, William," she whispered, as she pulled away from him. His body craved her closeness immediately after her withdrawal and Darcy was about to protest, but as she turned, he saw her beckon him forward with the curve of her index finger.

His move was swift and he recaptured her within moments of their parting. Wanting to disrobe her of her clothing, he fondled and grabbed at the fastenings of her dress. "Undo the buttons down to the waist," came a whisper. but Darcy had other plans. Through his lack of patience, he ripped the two edges to the dress apart, where he observed the buttons fly off in all angles, including into the direction of his eye. "Ouch!" he exclaimed, as he received the full force of a flying object. Elizabeth soon soothed him by placing feather kisses about his injury, hoping that her ministrations would distract him from his pain. Her attempts were successful and it did not take him long before he was trying the same trick on her stays.

"You need to untie them, the fabric is too strong to pull apart. Unfasten the bottom bow and pull the cords with your fingers, one at a time."

"Turn around, Lizzy, it will be quicker," he spoke with an uneasy tremble to his voice, which denoted either his nervous state or his carnality. He ripped through the laces as though they were searing hot cords, threatening to burn his skin and within seconds, he had pulled the garment from her body and tossed it aside.

Gazing down her slight frame, his breathing became arduous, as he tried to fill his lungs with much needed air. The feeling was exquisite but torture for him, the knowledge of their imminent union stirred his hunger even more. His body was struggling to pump what little blood he had left around his vital organs, for most of it had headed towards the one organ, which was most forefront in his mind.

Elizabeth noticed the lack of undress of her husband and thought that it would not do. "I think you need a hand or two, William, for you are wearing too much," she breathed, as she grabbed his neckcloth and proceeded to untie the knot. She made light work of it in her expert hands and its removal exposed a patch of skin, which Elizabeth found so alluring that it promoted the wetness from her fanny. Thoughts of their imminent coupling filled her mind, his cock inside of her, sliding easily within her lusciousness, squelching on every move he made.

Elizabeth's fingers quickly unfastened the two buttons to his shirt, exposing his bare chest to her. His body was well defined, his muscles well developed and the covering of hairs upon his chest, attributed to a very manly physique. Darcy wished for her hands to explore his body, so discarded his shirt in one move, allowing his manly scent to fill the air. Elizabeth breathed in the aroma and almost swooned at its intoxication.

Elizabeth's chemise was next to be abandoned to the pile on the floor, Darcy could not wait much longer, so pulled the ties around her shoulders allowing the garment to fall, rippling down her body and landing in a silken pool at her feet. He had seen her naked the night before, but only in the dim moonlight. Now he was gazing upon her in the full daylight of a summer's afternoon, which allowed him to take in every detail.

Her fingers made light work of the buttons to his breeches and Darcy shuffled himself out of them with haste. Their initial contact of flesh made both groan and Elizabeth wished to take the next step towards womanhood. "Take me to the bed, William, make love to me," she whispered.

He picked her up into his arms and moved over to the bed, where he lay her down. He came to rest beside his wife but before she knew it, he had rolled over and was looming above her, as he dominated the situation.

She did not find his dominion of her abhorrent, for she wished for him to take control, to take charge of what was to come. He was after all, the one with the experience. He would show her what he liked, what she would find pleasurable and she would learn her own bodies desires from his expert actions.

She could feel his chest hairs once more titillated her nipples, as they rubbed against her hardened flesh, making them even more sensitive to his movements. Darcy moved down her body and took one of the hardened peaks into his mouth, whilst fondling the other as he pinched it between his thumb and finger. "Oh Lizzy, I need your scent upon my lips," he breathed, as he moved further down her body, until he reached her mons pubis.

He dipped his tongue into her fleshy folds, where he lapped her most private area, evidence of his actions could be heard about the room, making her groan and flex her hips into his face. Each time he flicked, brought her closer to the edge, but she could not take any more and pleaded with him. "Please William, I implore you, I need you inside of me… Now!"

Darcy quickly rose and was atop of her once more, Elizabeth spread her legs at the sensation of his hips against her inner thighs. As he gazed down, he grabbed his boy and rubbed the tip along her wetness, the sensation made Elizabeth's eyes flicker shut. "Darling, look at me, I want to see you, as I take you as my wife."

He pushed gently into her, he could not believe how tight she was, for although his boy slowly slid into her wetness it came to a stop as her walls tightened around him. Eager to take her, Darcy pushed harder, knowing she could accommodate him. However, as he thrust his cock into her, Elizabeth let out a haunting cry.

"Lizzy? What's wrong?" he gasped, as he came to a still inside of her.

"Pain!" is all she could initially state.

"What?"

"I do not think I was as injured as I thought I was… it hurts!" she cried.

Darcy looked down at his boy as he partially withdrew it from her, he gulped when he saw it stained in blood, _her blood._ "I am so sorry, darling, forgive me for being a brute," he declared as he placed tender kisses upon her.

"It is alright, William, do not stop, but please be gentle with me."

Darcy knew he would not stop, for he was already deep within her and his body urged him to continue. He adopted a slow undulation of his hips, allowing for movement but without the trauma that thrusting would bring. His hand moved back to her folds and he caressed her nub with his thumb, hoping that pleasure would conquer the pain. As he moved gently, he could see that she was beginning to relax, the earlier look of pain was no longer present on her face. On seeing this, he began to slowly stroke his cock against her wet walls in short thrusts, gauging her response to his new movements. She groaned her acceptance of them, allowing him to strengthen his pace.

As his movements became stronger, Elizabeth's reaction became louder, her initial moans were soft but by the time Darcy found himself not being able to hold back any longer, Elizabeth was crying out her release.

"That's it Lizzy, squeeze me dry, I want to feel you pulsate around me," he groaned as he hit his own release and cried out her name once more.

Darcy collapsed on top of her but immediately wrapped his arms around her and rolled onto his back, taking Elizabeth with him. She was now on top of him and was unable and unwilling to move.

As Darcy's breathing returned to a state of normality, he asked, "Lizzy, are you still in pain?" but she did not answer. "Lizzy?" still no answer. "Are you asleep?" he laughed, which woke her up. Turning her head to meet his gaze, he added, "I cannot believe you just fell to sleep like that, that is very rude of you," he chuckled.

"Well, Mr Darcy, you did have me up for most of the night," she grinned.

"So I did, sleep for a while my darling, for you will not get much sleep tonight."

Elizabeth lay there for only a short while, before her head sprung up from the comfort of Darcy's chest, "Wickham!" she exclaimed.

"What?" Darcy asked, puzzled at her shouting out the parson's name.

"Wickham! I know that name!"

"How? You were only introduced to him today."

"Did he marry two years ago? Is his wife's name Charlotte"? she spluttered out, now wide awake.

"Yes, how did you know that? Do you know Mrs Wickham?"

"Charlotte was a close friend of mine when she lived in Hertfordshire, she is Sir William Lucas' eldest daughter. I knew she married a man she met during her summer vacation at her uncle's house. Yes! He lives not far from here, I remember!" she grinned.

"But how do you not know George… I mean Mr Wickham?"

"She married in Derbyshire, she has not been home since as their circumstances does not allow for long distance trips. She has just had a baby and Lady Lucas, her mother, has been staying with her brother, Charlotte's uncle, for the past couple of months. Sir William Lucas could not join them, as he was needed in London too frequently for him to travel north."

"Such a small world," he said, but paused for a moment as a thought occurred to him. "Do you realise if you had come to the wedding, I would have met you two years ago, for I was Wickham's best man."

"Oh I probably would have not given you the time of day two years ago, for I was not in the right mind to entertain male attentions."

"And you are telling me, you was on our first few acquaintances," he laughed.

"We got there in the end, did we not," she teased, as she wiggled her fanny against his yard.

"Oh dear wife, I do believe you have just stirred the monster again," he said as he rolled over and so entrapping her beneath him once more.

Their second love making was more tender than the first, allowing Darcy to go on a treasure hunt of pleasures. Each moan emitted from his wife was marked up as a small victory and by the time his score had reached a dozen, she was begging him to take her once more.

* * *

As the day progressed, Darcy was beginning to feel rather hungry, for neither had eaten that day due to the turn of events since they woke. "Are you hungry?" Elizabeth laughed as she heard a roar of rumbling coming from her husband's stomach.

"Yes, I am, but I did not wish to rise from the bed to ring the bell pull. Do you wish for me to ring now?"

"We could dress and go downstairs."

"Are you already tired of me, Mrs Darcy?" he chuckled. The frown that Elizabeth expressed made him laugh even harder. "You look so sweet when you look like that, I doubt I will be able to keep a straight face if we are ever to argue. Come, if you wish to get up and stretch your legs, we can take a small walk in the grounds before it gets dark.

"But I have no clothes here, you ripped my dress off of me… Oh! I just realised, it is not my dress, it is aunt Gardiner's best dress!" she stated, worried that her aunt will not be best pleased with Darcy destroying her best gown.

"I will buy her a dozen if she is upset. Thinking of which, we need to get you properly attired."

"My clothes are fine, there is nothing wrong with them."

"Not if you are a country squire's daughter, but now you have been elevated to that of Mrs Darcy, you will be in silks, satins and velvets. If you wish for muslin, we can get you the finest there is, but it will be for the day only and when you are at home. I think at least three dozen dresses and the necessary items that go with them."

"Shoes? Bonnets? Undergarments? That will cost a fortune, William!" Elizabeth said in shock.

"Good job I have a fortune then, Lizzy. I do not know if my wealth had been banded around Hertfordshire, but I am worth over twice of what Bingley is."

Elizabeth's face turned distinctly pale, "I knew you were worth something, but more than Bingley! But I should have known from the grandeur of Pemberley. People will think I am a fortune hunter and entrapped you for your money, you do realise that don't you," she said, looking solemn at what she came to understand what others will think, especially those of the ton.

"What people do you speak of? Anyone outside of our friends and family do not deserve your worries, those within our circle they will quickly realise that we love each other. Those with vicious mouths are usually of the ton and they are the worst. Lizzy, do you realise I have to fight off the female population of London's society, when I go for the season. To be honest, I hate going but have to. I spend minimal time at balls and parties and spend most of the time at the gentleman's club, where women are not allowed. Now that I am wed, it will be quite a refreshing change to not be the most eligible bachelor in town," he laughed.

"They will all be too busy gossiping about us," she pouted, "can we just not go to London in the season and spend it here?"

"No, I cannot do that, Georgiana is only sixteen and will come out in a couple of years time, I need to keep up my presence in London for her sake."

"Oh yes! I have another sister!" she smiled, "I hope she is not too upset when she discovers we are married."

"I have already corresponded with her to tell her I had fallen for you, but that was when you were a stranger to me. Lizzy she will love you, she has always wanted a sister and your only four years older than she and your temperaments are so alike. She also loves to tease, so I feel you will get along very well, even if it is at my expense… Dear god! I just realised a double calamity awaits me once you are comfortable with each other." At this Elizabeth giggled, I will only tease you as a wife should, so there is no chance your sister will be able to join in."

"What do you mean, _as a wife should?_ " he smiled.

"Oh… the odd touch here and the occasional salacious glance, when in company, that sort of thing."

"Oh but they will be delicious torments, I can live with that… and Mrs Darcy, please note that two can play at that game," he smirked.

"Oh, but I have better control," she declared.

"Do you now, what happened last night then? I did not see you in control, rather the opposite." At this Darcy laughed as he saw his wife frown, when she realised she had been defeated in the banter. "I believe that I won that exchange."

"Oh you are insufferable!"

"And you are insatiable… delectable… desirable… enticing… captivating… need I go on?" he said as he kissed her tenderly between each word.

"No, not with your words anyway," she said, as she drew close to his side and run her fingers up the side of his body, from his outer thigh to his shoulder.

"I thought you wanted to get up and take a walk?" Darcy asked.

"Maybe in a little while," she purred, as she kissed the crook of his neck.

"Are you still sore? I do not wish to be at you constantly if you are," he asked, but hoped she was not in too much discomfort.

"I am sure I can bear it well, I am certain that the softness of your tongue about my throat will aid to the numbing of my nether region," she cooed.

Darcy had already taken to nibbling at her neck and as he bit her ear, she let out a sensuous sigh. "Oh darling, who would have thought when you splashed water on my face, that you would end up my wife."

"I did not for I thought you a mad man, who had had his senses knocked out of him."

"No, the blow to the head only served to knock the sense into me. You were not the only one who thought me mad, when I spoke of you."

"Who else did you tell? Ah… Mr Bingley. Now I understand the afternoon tea on the day I left, was that pre-planned in order to get us into the same room?"

"I am afraid it was, but not of my doing, your sister and Bingley had arranged it the day before, but I was only too grateful to oblige in their little scheme," he laughed, then frowned. "You left on your trip without a goodbye, why did you not mention it when we met in the woods?"

"I needed to distance myself from you, without you knowing."

"You were running away from me? But you could not run forever, my darling, for I would have caught up with you at some point."

"Yes and you did, four days later," she giggled.

"And now I have entrapped you in my bedchambers of unadulterated pleasure… Now… Where were we?" he said as he pulled her into his arms and found her lips once more.

* * *

It was another three hours before the Darcys made any attempts to leave their room. Darcy was in his study, sorting out the jewellery case of his late mother's, whilst Elizabeth pottered around the vestibule, looking at all the fine porcelain which was on show, when Mr and Mrs Gardiner entered the vestibule.

"Lizzy, I did not expect to see you, are you well?" Mrs Gardiner said, with a look that made Elizabeth blush.

"Yes, very well aunt," she beamed.

"I take it all went well with the wedding night… I mean afternoon?" she said in a low conspiratorial tone, so that Mr Gardiner did not hear her question.

"Yes aunt, all is very well, it was far more than I had ever anticipated. William is so attentive towards me. If someone was to tell me how I would feel I would tell them that they were talking rubbish," she laughed.

"Yes, it does take some getting used to, in a good way though," Elizabeth's aunt confirmed. "Where is Mr Darcy?"

"I am here," Darcy said as he walked out of his study with the wooden case in his arms, "Please call me William, we are now family, are we not?"

"Yes, and you must call me Madeleine and Mr Gardiner is Edward."

"Indeed sir, we are all family now," the older gentleman said, with no evidence of his bad mood of that morning. "It is our given names and we prefer that as our chosen alias," Mr Gardiner stated as he joined the party. "I did not think you would be downstairs, I thought you would have taken dinner in your private sitting room."

"Uncle!" Elizabeth chastised.

"Oh! No… Lizzy, I did not mean anything by it, just that I thought you would wish for privacy," he blushed, realising he was rather risky with his comment. Elizabeth looked over to Darcy, wishing to gauge his reaction, however, she was met with a man trying to stifle his own laughter, but failing miserably. Darcy had turned his back to the party and Elizabeth could see the shaking of his shoulders, indicating his amusement.

" _Something amusing you, William?"_

Darcy turned around and the rest of the party witnessed a very red faced gentleman standing before them. The whole party could not hold their countenance and it was Mr Gardiner who burst out laughing first, quickly followed by his wife. Darcy came closer to Elizabeth and wrapped his arms around her, placing a kiss upon her forehead, hoping it would sooth her awkwardness.

"Shall we all go into the parlour, I have something to show you Lizzy," Darcy said, whilst Elizabeth spied the box behind him on the table. Mr Gardiner gave Mrs Gardiner a knowing nod, as he had already mentioned the jewels to her, whilst they were on their day's excursions.

As they settled in their chosen seats, Darcy went over to where Elizabeth was and sat down beside her, placing the wooden case on the table in front of them, he opened the lid. "Darling, these were my mother's and father wished me to give them to my wife, once I wed. You have already received one of them, which sits upon your finger. Here are a selection of the remaining jewels."

"Selection?" she gasped, as she gazed upon the amount of small cases and pouches, which indicated a vast number of items.

"Yes, the rest of the jewels are more elaborate and expensive, so they are at present in London, held in a vault. Those items are usually only worn when at functions and balls in town. I can arrange to have them sent here, if you wish?"

"No, it is fine William, they will be safe as I am sure that is the reason as to why they are there. Heaven! There is a whole jewellers shop here," she gasped at what sat in front of her.

Darcy first took a large flat box from the top of the case, on opening it, Elizabeth saw the remainder of the set, that her wedding ring had come from. "This goes with what I gave you earlier, necklace, earrings and a bracelet, there is also a tiara, but that is in London, for the centre diamond is quite a few carats."

"How many is a few, five?"

"Elizabeth, the ring you have on your finger has seven carats alone, the tiara is set with a thirty carat diamond."

Elizabeth physically shook as the words left his lips, "This is seven carats, heaven forbid! I have read the values of such in father's newspapers, how am I to wear such an item, I will be too scared to move my hand for fear I will lose it." Darcy chuckled at her reaction, "What is so funny?"

"Sorry darling, father said my mother had a similar reaction to the same information. She got used to wearing it and she never lost it once."

For the hour before dinner, Darcy showed his bride the remainder of the jewels. One piece in particular, an opal, topaz and platinum bracelet caught her eye, "This is exquisite, I have never seen this combination before, so delicate."

"That? father had that made for mother's birthday. It was a gift from myself, but as I was only three at the time, it was obviously father's choice."

Elizabeth smiled at the thought of a little Fitzwilliam Darcy handing his mother her gift, such a sweet boy he must have been.


	10. A Headache, A bidet and a Private Tour

**20th August 1811**

Elizabeth woke to the sounds of light snoring the following morning, snuggled in her husband's embrace, she felt at home. However, it was only a matter of a few moments before she sensed the pounding in her head and the sickness in her stomach. Her nether regions were sore and her bladder was full. _Where is the chamberpot?_ she wondered, as she carefully removed herself from the bed.

As she rose, she felt giddy, the blood red colours of her husband's bedchambers did not do anything for her splitting headache. _Oh I need to get out of this room_. She made her way to her own bedchambers, where she found and used the commode, relieving herself from the many glasses of strong wine that she had quaffed the night before.

As she sat there, she concluded that she must have consumed in excess of a full bottle of wine, which had been left in the master's bedchambers, for the sole purpose of toasting their marriage. However, Darcy was unaware of her intolerance to such a strong beverage and urged her to continue drinking, until Elizabeth could not string her words together without slurring. Their couplings were numerous and at a frantic pace and Elizabeth seemed to remember falling off of the bed at one point, only to be set upon once more by her husband, who had joined her on the floor and had made love to her on the Persian rug.

Still sitting on the commode, she spotted a bidet in the corner of the room and a full pitcher on the side, so poured some cold water into the bidet. She sat astride the apparatus and began to slosh the water upon her fanny, trying to cool down the burning sensation that persisted there. As she did this, she realised that her pain was probably due to the night's activities for although she had damaged herself the year before, their love-making the previous afternoon had proved to her that she was still intact to some degree. Darcy had been eager in his attentions of her, the alcohol he had consumed was not enough to have any affect on his libido, but quite the opposite had occurred and he could not help but pay particular attention to her another four or five times, before they both succumb to sleep.

As she splashed herself, she took the bristle toothbrush and some of the tooth powder from the pot that sat next to the pitcher and started to brush the fuzz away that had built up in her mouth from the alcohol. _God, my mouth feels like a badger's behind,_ she thought, _I will never drink another glass, ever again!_

As she continued to feel sorry for herself, she heard a distant call. Darcy had awakened to an empty bed and felt her absence tremendously. "I am in here," she called out, but her throat was sore, so her voice did not travel the distance.

Darcy noticed the door to the sitting room was open, so assumed she had made her way back to her rooms. "Darling, are you in here?" he called out once more in a rather groggy manner. Elizabeth could tell he was now in her bedchambers and called out to him from the dressing room again.

As he walked in, she looked up, mouth full of tooth powder and the brush sticking out at an angle. Darcy had to laugh when he saw her astride the bidet, "You look like you are riding a horse… naked. You look like Lady Godiva," he said as he sat down in the chair next to the bathtub.

"You were a brute to me last night, my poor under carriage is crying out for sympathy," Elizabeth chastised, as she was not in the mood for humour.

"Oh lord, are you in pain!" Darcy gasped, now worried that he had hurt her again.

"My whole body is in pain, my head aches, my stomach will not settle and my nether regions are on fire. I was sore yesterday after we… well you know. After last night's activities, I feel even worse."

Darcy did not wish to hear this, for he was already wanting to take her again, but knew that he had to wait for her to heal. "I am so sorry, darling, please forgive me," he said, trying desperately to keep a straight face.

"This is not funny!" Elizabeth huffed, as she splashed some of the water into her husband's direction, but missed him completely. Seeing her husband in such humour at her expense did not sit well with her and a glower formed upon her face.

"No, I am sorry… again, but you look so adorable, sitting on that thing, doing what you are doing with such a sweet pout upon your face."

"I now know that I cannot take the wine, if I am to feel like this, I would rather not partake in drinking it at all."

"That was my fault, I allowed you to drink to excess. I did not take into account that you are a young woman, not used to the taste of wine. I could see you were drinking it with eagerness and thought you were used to its effects, but it was not until you started to slur your words, that I realised you were intoxicated," he laughed.

"Yes, well… please can you make sure I do not overindulge again," she said, trying to curb her own laughter.

With humour restored, she gazed back at him and noticed how dishevelled he looked. His banyan was wrapped round him, haphazardly; the trace of a beard appearing from not having shaved for over a day; his messed up hair, which Elizabeth remembered running her fingers through several times the night before and grabbing a handful on more than one occasion, had made him look worse for wear, but with the addition of a general sleepy appearance, he looked endearing and she wanted nothing more than to take him back to bed, even though she was not feeling herself. Darcy, however, had other plans. "I have rung for the bath to be filled in my dressing room, I suggest we bathe together. I will have them add some salt to the water, if you wish."

"No! That will make my present state obvious. I have some rock salt here, it seems that someone was anticipating the need for it, I will add some myself."

"I do not doubt the servants will know what has been going on, for the bed will give us away."

"What! Have I bled over the bed again?" Elizabeth asked in shock.

"No, but it is covered with my seed, there are stains everywhere… and some of it is due to the strawberries."

"Strawberries? I do not remember those!"

"You do not remember me rubbing them over your body last night and then licking it all off of you?" he grinned.

"No, but now that you come to mention it, I do feel rather sticky." Darcy could not help but smile, as he saw Elizabeth notice something on her breast and then proceed to pick off a stubborn strawberry seed, that had stuck fast.

As he was eagerly watching his wife, he heard a distant knock on his dressing room door, indicating that the bath was ready. "Come, let's get you cleaned up," he said, as he grabbed her salts from the dresser and picked her up into his arms.

Elizabeth yelped at the abruptness of his actions and held tight around his neck as he strode through the rooms, before he placed her back down on her feet. "Let me check that Roger is not in there, as he may not be anticipating your presence. Go lay down on the bed, sweetheart, and cover yourself."

As she did this, Darcy went into his dressing area. Elizabeth could hear voices and so concluded that Roger, the valet, was indeed in there waiting for her husband. She heard the door to the servant's entrance close and her husband return. "He has left, I told him not to come back until I summons him again, as he needs to give me a shave."

"I quite like the rough look you are wearing at the moment," Elizabeth smiled.

"I bet you would love it better if I were to kiss your fanny, for you will feel its roughness upon the insides of your thighs," he purred.

"Oh heaven, I am sure I am not too sore for your tongue."

After bathing, Darcy took Elizabeth back to bed. As they reentered the room, they noticed the bedding had been changed and the room cleared of the clothes, that had been thrown onto the floor. Elizabeth believed that her husband's tongue would be the death of her, for they had taken to more gentle activities and in doing so, her pleasures spiked thrice more. Darcy was not to be disappointed either, as he had been taken by his wife's mouth just as many times, until he collapsed back onto the bed, proclaiming that he was going to have a heart attack.

It was nearly midday, when they woke from their slumber. Stretching out beside her husband, Elizabeth asked, "Can we go and see Charlotte this afternoon?"

"Mrs Wickham? Yes, if you wish, although it may be better to go tomorrow afternoon and I can send a message to let them know of our intentions to visit. We need to see your aunt and uncle off this afternoon, as they will be leaving to return to Hertfordshire."

"Oh yes, so soon," Elizabeth winced, "they are to travel back to Longbourn and tell father of what has happened, I hope he has returned from Bath by the time they arrive. Do you think I should write a note to him, telling him I am well."

"It may do both of us good to write him a letter, maybe I should apologise for not doing things the conventional way. I would like to invite them here, so that they can see Pemberley. It may sooth their wrath somewhat."

"It will mama, but doubt father will be stirred by it. Maybe he will be pacified by your library, but please do not show him the secret room, he will wonder what it is for… What is it for?"

Darcy grinned, knowing full well why his father had it built. "Father was rather a feisty chap, he wanted mother at every hour," he smirked.

"Oh, so that is where you get it from," Elizabeth grinned.

"Well, rumour has it that he had it built, so that mother and he could have a little tryst during the day. It would have proven difficult to explain why they were retiring to their bedchambers to a ten year old, so father thought it easier to say they were going to the library. I remember they would both disappear for a while and then exit the library rather flushed, but happy."

"Oh that reminds me, I left your locket on the table in there."

"Oh thank the lord Lizzy, I thought I lost it in the lake. I have been worried about losing it, although I still do have some of the pressed flowers left, so could have had another made."

"Can you have one made for me?"

"Of course, if you want one, maybe a smaller daintier one so you can wear it around your pretty neck… Come, we must rise or we will not be very good hosts to your family."

Before luncheon, both Elizabeth and Darcy retreated to his study to write their correspondence. Both found it difficult to concentrate, but after Darcy turned to face away from his wife, they both found it easier to continue their writing.

—

 _Pemberley Estate_

 _Derbyshire_

 _20th August 1811_

 _Dear Papa_

 _I trust that Uncle Gardiner has already advised you of my current situation and why I have not returned to Longbourn with the party._

 _Before I go any further, please do not blame Mr Darcy, for it was as much my fault as it was his, I urged him on and he fought against his feelings for me. I do not know how much uncle has said, but may I reassure you that I was still a maiden, when my vows were taken and that I did not predetermine them._

 _William is a good man, he is kind, tender and he loves me beyond words, as I do him. I know this must hurt you, to have lost your most cherished daughter, before you were ready. I know you have not said in so many words, but I always knew that you wished for me to stay unmarried, so that I would keep you company without you having to share me with another. I love this man with all my heart, I could not find a better husband in this world and I know he will make me very happy._

 _I would imagine mama is beside herself, I believe she could see Mr Darcy's interest when he visited Longbourn, during your stay in Bath. I am sure she is happy to know that I am settled with such a gentleman._

 _William will be inviting you to Pemberley in his letter, please do not judge him before you know the man he is. His attentions to me are unrelenting and his want to see me happy is great. He is a wonderful master to all his servants and tenants, I can see by their actions that they would do anything for him and you always said that you can judge a master by how their servants and tenants treat him._

 _This is a love match, not a Knobstick wedding, papa, it was not a necessity due to a possibility of me being with child and uncle did not have to retreat to coercion for the wedding to go ahead, Mr Darcy had already asked me and I had accepted him._

 _I hope you see it in your heart to accept my new situation and visit as soon as you can._

 _Love_

 _Elizabeth_

—

"Do you have to leave today, uncle?" Elizabeth asked, as they sat down to luncheon.

"I am afraid so, Lizzy. Both your aunt and I wish to return to Longbourn and break the news to your father. It cannot be delayed, as he may hear it from another source, news of this type travels fast and it will be best I tell him first. I will have to take the brunt of his anger, as it was I who gave the permission in his absence," he sighed.

"I do not envy you, although I am sure I will end up with a certain level of hatred and animosity thrown my way," Darcy stated, worried that he was going to come face to face with a tirade of abuse from his wife's father, once they met."

"He will be angry initially, but I hope he will settle down once he reads your letters, do you have them ready?" Mr Gardiner asked.

"Yes, here," she said handing both correspondence to the older gentleman. "Please explain the situation to him, before he reads the letters, I am so worried at his reaction."

"Do not concern yourself, I will explain everything, but I am afraid I will have to tell him the reason behind the abruptness of the marriage. I like William exceedingly, he is a good man and it is only the issue of yesterday morning and the preceding night that has caused a certain amount of disappointment in me, but it is only that… disappointment, which has faded into nothing more than a blunder in my eyes. I can understand you are both young, in love and were betrothed at the time. You are not the only ones to predetermine your vows, although I do believe now that you did not fully abandon your morals and were not totally reckless."

"I have invited the family here, so that I can get to know them better. I have met all except Mr Bennet, something that I feel needs to be done fairly soon. If he does not come, then we can visit in a month's time, but I do not wish to leave Pemberley for a while," Darcy stated.

"I can understand you need your time here and for you both to get used to married life. Elizabeth has also the task of becoming mistress of this fine house. I am sure you will do well, Lizzy, for you have always helped your mama and papa with running Longbourn.

"I will try to persuade Mr Bennet to visit, I am sure he will accept the invite, even if it is to meet the man who has taken his favourite daughter from him."

"What? His favourite daughter! I hope he does not wish to fight," Darcy stated.

"If he does, William, I will put myself between you, I will not have you fight over me."

"He will not fight, he will shout and rant at you, but he is not a violent man, sir," Mr Gardiner stated, trying to sooth the now perturbed Darcy.

Elizabeth wanted to change the subject somewhat, it was no use dwelling on what may or may not happen, once her father found out about the marriage. She then remembered her aunt's dress and had to confess, "Aunt, we had a slight accident with your dress, yesterday," she blushed.

"Oh I can imagine what sort of accident, how many buttons remain on the garment?" she laughed.

"None, they flew off in all different directions, I can't even find half of them."

"It does not matter, I will have another dress made up. I have more of that fabric, as it came from our warehouses," she chuckled, as she spied Mr Darcy cringing in his seat.

"Oh, I did not know it was one of your fabrics, I would quite like a dress made from that material."

"I can send a dress length down to you by post, if you wish."

"That will be wonderful," Elizabeth chirped, "I can have it made by a modiste that will make my other dresses, although I am not sure who that will be?"

"We can travel into Chesterfield tomorrow after you visit Charlotte, it is on the way," Darcy stated.

"Charlotte?" Mrs Gardiner enquired, wondering if this was the same young woman that Elizabeth had introduced her to, many years previous.

"Aunt, it is the most wonderful discovery! Charlotte Lucas, whom I knew in Hertfordshire, is now Mrs Wickham! She is married to the parson who was here yesterday, it is such a small world."

"I am so glad you have a female friend close by, for the little things ladies like to do and men do not," she laughed.

"Like what?" Darcy asked, now intrigued at what ladies do behind men's backs.

"Oh, just the usual talk of lace and frills, the latest fashions and the gossips in town, that sort of thing. I know you men do not care to hear about all this."

After luncheon had finished, Mr and Mrs Gardiner made their final preparations before departing. By three in the afternoon, the couple left in the Darcy carriage, as Darcy had seen to it that they returned to Hertfordshire in comfort. Having arrived in a hired carriage, it was only gentlemanly to offer his own vehicle on their return trip. As they disappeared into the distance, Darcy witnessed his wife looking rather forlorn.

"Darling, we will see your family regularly, I promise," he soothed, as he wrapped his arms around her. "If it is not here, then we can visit them, when we are in London. Please do not brood over your father's reaction, I hate seeing you worry so, it will be me he will wish to aim his anger at, not you."

"I know, that is what I am worried about. I do not think he will turn to violence, but he will not hold back his tongue."

"Well, we will have to deal with it at the time, which will not be for at least a week, so do not make yourself ill over it all. Come, I want to show you more of the house, for there is several dozen rooms you have not seen yet."

"Oh, you are taking me on a private tour? Can we start at the library, I can retrieve your locket," she smiled.

"Oh yes, do you now?" he smirked.

"Mr Darcy, you are insatiable!"

"Lizzy, you make me so. I have never behaved in this manner, it is you that has brought the beast out in me," he said, as he nipped at her ear, "Come, let us seek out this locket," he grinned.

As the door closed in the bookcase, Elizabeth turned to see her husband leaning back against the shelving, his eyes gave his intent away, for they were fixed upon her body, in such a way that his carnal lust could not be mistaken. "So will you sit for me," he purred.

Elizabeth sat in the wing back chair that stood in the corner and Darcy was on his knees before she could make herself comfortable. Having lifted her skirts, he placed each of her legs over the arms of the chair and in doing so, spread her wide open. "William, this is rather audacious," she said nervously, as she fidgeted with the front of her skirts to cover her modesty.

"Nothing that I have not seen already and no one will come in."

He pushed her skirts back up to her waist and kissed the delicate skin of her inner thigh, just above the knee. As he deposited a trail of kisses and bites along the inside of her thigh, he discretely placed each hand on the front of the armrest and in doing so, debilitated her movement and so forcing her into submission. Elizabeth found the act, subtle as it was, arousing and could not understand why being incarcerated in such a way, by her husband, would make her wanton, but wanton she felt.

"Are you going to take me here?" she breathed.

"Yes, if you are not too sore, my darling," he whispered.

"I hope I am not, for I want nothing more than to have you inside of me." Elizabeth let out a whimper, when her husband came into contact with her core. Gentle was his touch, which was far more pleasing than the roughness of his fingers, for his tongue was eager, but meticulous in its actions.

Darcy, let go of one of the armrests to unfasten his breeches, as his cock was beginning to get rather uncomfortable in the confines of the tight garment. As he did this, Elizabeth wished for nothing more than to have his hand return to its resting place and so pinning her back into the leather bound cage she found herself sitting on.

"Please, William, I need you."

"What do you need, my love?" he teased, knowing that she was begging him to enter her.

"You!" she demanded.

"Me? But you have me, am I not paying particular attentions to you," he murmured, as he carried on with his oral ministrations.

"Yes, but I want you inside of me,now!" she pleaded.

"Oh, my fingers?" he teased once more.

"For heaven sake! William! I want your cock!" she screamed out in frustration, making the master grin.

"You only had to say, darling, I am so happy to oblige," he said, as he knelt up on his heels and pushed his boy into her at a painfully slow pace. Elizabeth could not move for she would have grabbed his buttocks and forced him into her, but she was still pinned down by her legs and in such a position that she could not sit up. "Is this what you want, sweetheart, my hard cock inside of you?" he breathed, as he came to a stop due to not being able to push any further. Darcy could feel his wife's inner walls twitch, as she became accustomed to her fullness.

"Move, please William, I want to feel you rub against me," she beckoned, but as he did not respond straight away, Elizabeth forced her bottom up off of the seat by bearing her weight upon her hands and rocked back and forth against his body.

"Shit!" Darcy gasped at her movements, "Oh Lizzy, that's it darling, pound against me, take me at your own pace."

Elizabeth now knew that she was in control of their love-making, even though Darcy still had her pinned into place. He was allowing her to take it at her pace, giving her control as to how gentle or rough their love-making would be. Her soreness all forgotten, she found herself pounding relentlessly against him, their skin to skin contact was making the most arousing slapping noises.

"Fuck! I am going to come, Lizzy," Darcy groaned, not caring that a profanity had spilt from his lips. On hearing this, Elizabeth's fanny tightened and Darcy almost let go, but was able to retain his ejaculate. Elizabeth collapsed upon the chair, as her arms had given way, Darcy instinctively took over and thrust himself into her repeatedly, which was her undoing. As she squeezed his cock, he could not hold back and growled his completion with one final thrust.

He leaned forward and wrapped his arms about her body, holding her tight to him. This allowed her to place her feet onto the ground, even though her husband was still inside of her. "You are heaven, personified, are you not?"

"I could say the same about you, you make me feel as I have never done before."

"I think that goes both ways, darling," he said, as he fumbled around in his pockets.

"What is the matter, have you lost something?"

"No, I think we need my handkerchief, for you are likely to drip when I remove myself." At this Elizabeth blushed, but she had to understand that it was his bodily fluids more than hers that were the culprits. As he pulled out, he caught the initial fluids that drained from her body, "Hold it in place and cough, it helps to remove some of the surplus seed."

"Oh!" was all that she could say, but did as he said.

After returning to a calm state, they both stood and on seeing the reason for entering, Elizabeth grabbed the locket from the table and handed it back to Darcy.

They continued the tour and as they were walking the first floor, Darcy explained the rooms. "There is a painting gallery and marble gallery, which you have already seen, but there is also a more private gallery. It has more family portraits of recent members, which I do not wish to be on public viewing. There is also an orangery, a ballroom and a second music room, which is next to Georgiana's bedchambers. That room is purely for Georgie's use, as her new pianoforte I have just purchased for her, is in there."

"Does she not use the one downstairs?"

"Yes, but she is always practising and sometimes the music distracts me, when I am in my study. I thought the new instrument could be used during the day and in the evenings she can use the one downstairs."

"So what would you do if I were to play all day on the instrument in the music room?" she laughed, "I bet you did not envisage a second pianist in the family so soon."

"I would not do any work, for I would come sit beside you and turn your pages," he whispered in her ear, as he kissed the crook of her neck.

"Oh William, not here, how can you be so… already?"

"No not here, I want to show you another room, darling."

They walked on a few more yards and came to another door, "This room, I want you to have, it is directly below your bedchambers and there is a secret staircase to it."

As the entered, Elizabeth gasped, for it was a replica of her bedchambers, but totally devoid of furnishings. "This room was mother's personal sitting room, but she never really used it. You can do with it as you wish, have it as a sewing room, reading room or I can buy you another pianoforte, if you want."

"It will seem silly to buy yet another instrument. I would quite like the room as my very own library. I am sure the one downstairs holds everything you can imagine, but I do like a novel or two, which may not be everyone's taste. Maybe have a few bookshelves added and a settee and a chair with a table between," she said, but paused as she thought, "or we could leave it and have it as a nursery… when the time is right," she said shyly, as she bit her lip.

"Nursery? You are thinking ahead, rather."

"I may already be with child, who knows?" Elizabeth shrugged.

"Yes, but I have yet to show you the nurseries, for there are three on the third floor, near our rooms. They do need work for they have not been used for many years. Georgie moved to her room before father died, so the rooms have not seen daylight since. Come, let us go back upstairs via the secret staircase."

As they ascended the small narrow steps, Elizabeth found herself in her dressing room once more. "I need to get all my clothes from the cream rooms, I had to get Sophie to retrieve some items from there this morning, for I had nothing to wear."

"It is already done. I instructed Mrs Reynolds to oversee the packing of everything back into your trunks and to leave them unopened, when they placed them in here. I had a feeling you would wish to sort through them yourself."

"Yes, I would like that, although I did not bring much with me, only enough for a month's trip. I hope mother realises this and brings the rest of my clothes with her when she visits."

"We can get you some new gowns made in Chesterfield, until we can get to the modiste in Bond Street. I would very much like you to make more of those breeches. I doubt the modiste will make them, it would not be worth risking her reputation over such a request," Darcy stated, but his nerves on his request were evident in his voice.

"Do you now, Mr Darcy. Any particular reason you wish for me to have more than the one pair?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes, as my wife, I give you permission to wear them whenever you wish, so long as we do not have guests, for I fear you will shock them."

"Oh I will not shock my family, for they have seen me wearing such a garment. Mother was never pleased, saying I look like a tomboy, but my sisters are not put out by them, in fact I think Jane was wishing to try them on at one point."

"Maybe she should, it would send Bingley into a frenzy, like it did me," he laughed.

"Oh, but Jane could not handle his reaction. She is very timid and a gentile woman, whereas I can face anything that is thrown at me," she smiled.

"I did throw myself at you, didn't I, but how could I not on seeing you in such a state and with such easy access to my dreams," he purred. Darcy moved closer to his wife, who was sitting upon the top of her bed. "Lizzy, can we try out your bed for a change?" he asked salaciously.

"Oh William," she chuckled, "it has been all of an hour. I suppose I can bear your affections once more," she said, as he planted a kiss upon her shoulder.

"Only the once?" he whispered.

"Mr Darcy!" she gasped, as she felt his hand upon her femininity, through the fabric of her dress.


	11. Charlotte Wickham

**22nd August 1811**

It was two days later, when Darcy and Elizabeth arrived outside the parsonage in the Barouche. Elizabeth wished to go the previous day, but Wickham had too many weddings to conduct in the morning and was busy with writing his sermons in the afternoon, so they agreed to visit the day after. Elizabeth could see, as they came closer to the house, that Wickham was in the front garden, tending to his weeds. The parsonage looked beautiful with roses around the door and meticulously pruned box hedges along the garden's borders. She could see that he was a keen gardener.

As Darcy helped Elizabeth out of the vehicle, Wickham greeted them warmly. Too eager to make small talk, Elizabeth asked, "Is Charlotte in the house?" She knew that the parson was aware of her connection with his wife, but had been told not to say anything, as the mistress wished to surprise her.

"Yes, she is in the parlour, the room furthest to the back of the house, you may go in if you wish. I will stay here with Darcy, so that you have some time alone."

As Elizabeth walked into the house, she could hear her friend talking to someone, it did not sound as if she was talking to an adult, but a child. As she turned the corner at the end of the corridor, she saw Charlotte sitting on the settee, with her baby laying in the crib by her side and talking to him softly. "Charlotte?" she said in a gentle tone.

Charlotte jumped up and cried out her friend's name in surprise, luckily this did not stir the young Master Wickham. "What are you doing here? Are you on vacation with your family?"

"No, I live here now, I got married a few days ago and am now settled a few miles away. I heard that you were living not far, so I thought I would visit."

"Oh, but we are already expecting visitors, Georges patron and his new wife….Oh my word!" Charlotte gasped, on seeing the elaborate ring on her friend's finger, "you are Mrs Darcy!"

Elizabeth smiled, "Yes, it seems I am."

"But how? When? Mr Darcy has not spent any time in Hertfordshire… oh, but Mr Bingley is now ensconced there. Father wrote to mother to say as much and I have heard George mention Mr Bingley and that he is a good friend of Mr Darcy's." Charlotte was so delighted to see her old friend and more so that she was now permanently residing close by, and with such a connection to her household meant that they would see each other regularly. She gave Elizabeth a warm embrace, "I have missed you so much Lizzy, I am sorry that I did not come back to Hertfordshire to visit, but it is difficult for George to get away for any length of time, due to his responsibilities to his parishioners and I will not leave him."

"Do not fret, Charlotte, for I have done the same. I married without warning and my family do not even know, it all happened so quickly."

"What do you mean?" she gasped, "You are not with child, are you?"

"No, but… there was a need that we wed quickly. If we did not, I feared that I would have been taken before our vows were spoken. It would have been me in the wrong, for I did urge William on so and I almost broke his guard. It was a battle of the wills so to speak, me wanting him and he trying to resist me," she smiled sweetly. "Luckily, uncle gave his permission as my guardian and we were married the same day."

"Did George marry you? He did not tell me."

"Yes, but he did not know we were friends until he received William's letter, then he was sworn to secrecy as I wished to surprise you."

"And indeed you have," Charlotte laughed. "I am surprised poor Albert did not wake up at my response," she said, gazing back at the baby.

"So, this is your son, how adorable, he looks like you… actually he looks like your father," she giggled.

"Yes, mother says that. Oh Lizzy, you missed mama, she left two days ago."

"Oh aunt and uncle left on that day too, maybe they will see each other on the road."

"I doubt it, mama has not taken the same route. She is to travel east to Skegness and see her sister and spend a week by the coast, before returning to Hertfordshire. I hope papa is well?"

"He was when I saw him at the assembly last month, he was in his element, introducing the new residents to everyone."

"He likes to play host at the public assemblies. I am sure that is why he arranges them so frequently."

At that moment, Wickham and Darcy entered the small parlour. "Good day Mrs Wickham, I hope you are keeping well and that you are finding motherhood a delight," Darcy said, peering into the crib.

"Yes sir, I am very well and this little one is such a godsend to both of us," she said, as Wickham came to stand beside her and kissed her hand. Elizabeth could see the love that they shared between them and thought that it was wonderful that Charlotte finally found such happiness, when she was ready to give up hope of a match. "I hear congratulations are in order and to have found Lizzy, of all people!" she smiled, "I am so glad that she has been brought back into my life, we have been friends for so many years and I have missed her terribly… So, how did you meet?"

"I fell off my horse, not far from Longbourn and Elizabeth found me on her morning walk. To say that I was lovestruck is an understatement," he laughed.

"Yes you were, but I think it was more of a case of being struck on the head. He persisted on calling me a water nymph."

"You may not be a water nymph, Lizzy, but you certainly are my goddess, one that I will worship for the rest of my life," he beamed.

As the afternoon progressed, the friends discussed many things, including events back in Hertfordshire. By the end of the visit, Elizabeth insisted on inviting Charlotte and the baby to Pemberley the following morning at around eleven, so that she could stay for luncheon. As Mr Wickham was busy, it was agreed that Elizabeth would send the Barouche to the parsonage with Sophie and Edward aboard, so that Charlotte would have company on the journey.

* * *

 **23rd August 1811**

Mr Bennet had awoken early to the warmth of his wife. He had returned very late the night before and being such a time and the family not prepared for his arrival, he had no option other than to share his wife's bedchambers. Mrs Bennet was relieved when she realised it was only to sleep and that he did not wish for anything more than a comfortable bed.

"Are you awake Francis?" he asked in a soft whisper, so that he would not awaken her, if she was still asleep.

"Yes, I have not slept much due to your snoring, now I know why I insisted on separate bedchambers."

"We both benefit from separate rooms, for you do fidget rather, the occasional elbow in my side always wakes me."

"That is usually because of your snoring," she laughed, "besides, I can never get comfortable when you are in here with me, just something I am used to, I suppose. Anyway, how is your gout, did taking the waters help?"

"Not really, I spent some time at the spa, but also saw a physician there, he told me to not eat so much rich food. You will need to sit down with Mrs Hill and discuss the menus, I need to eat less red meat and more vegetables," Mr Bennet pouted his disdain at the idea of not being able to indulge in some top rump of beef in the evenings.

"I think we can all do with lighter meals, I noticed Lydia getting rather chubby. She will not attract the men if she carries on with what she is doing," Mrs Bennet sighed at the memory of her daughter crying because she could not fit into any of her dresses, "I have had to let out at least five of her gowns, gowns that were rather loose on her earlier in the year and she has not grown in height, so her waist has not increased due to natural growth."

"I had noticed her eagerness to eat, maybe she can get some exercise and go with Lizzy on her morning walks. So…. What has been happening in my absence. Did you meet with the new tenant of Netherfield when I was away? I understand he and his party were to attend the Meryton assembly last month."

"Yes, he took an instant liking to Jane, how could he not for she is the most prettiest girl in the district. He has visited here a few times, the first time he came with a friend, Mr Darcy. I do think Mr Darcy was rather taken with our Lizzy, although she did not give him much encouragement, something I was not happy about," she frowned. "Then she left on her trip with Edward and Madeleine a few days later. I tried to talk her out of it, but she would not hear of it… Then," here Mrs Bennet stopped in order to lower her voice into a conspiratorial tone, "Jane did tell me that Mr Bingley mentioned to her that Mr Darcy had already met Lizzy before he came to Longbourn, and that he was very much impressed by her. Jane also told me that Mr Darcy left for his own estate on the very same day Lizzie left on her trip. And you never guess what," she grinned.

"What? What is it?"

"Mr Darcy lives but 5 miles from Lambton and that is where Madeleine grew up and that is where they are to spend the first week of their trip."

"Good grief! What a coincidence."

"It is, and Mr Darcy apparently is master of an estate there… Pemberley," Mrs Bennet confirmed, not realising how substantial the young man's worth was.

"Pemberley! I know of that estate, it takes up nearly half of Derbyshire! I have read about it in one of my books, that family is extremely rich, Francis!"

"Are they? I was not aware of any more wealth than that of Mr Bingley. Do you suppose he is worth more than his friend?" Mrs Bennet puzzled as to why she was not already privy to this information. "I am shocked Mrs Long did not tell me any details about Mr Darcy. Maybe she was keeping quiet, so that she could have him for one of her nieces," she stated with a furrowed brow, "I would not put it past that woman."

"It maybe that Mr Darcy kept quiet about where he was from, so that there would not be any gossiping."

"Oh there was gossips enough, however, it is believed to be Miss Bingley who started them." Mrs Bennet then took some time in bringing her husband up to date with all the gossips in town, but he was not really paying attention, as the only thing on his mind was the ever so rich Mr Darcy wanting to pursue his dear Lizzy.

"So, Mr Darcy departed the same day and headed home, which coincidentally is within 5 miles of where Lizzy is staying with your brother and sister?" Mr Bennet finally said, which quietened his wife's ramblings.

"Yes, I do hope they meet again, he seemed resolved to engage in conversation with her on his visit, although she was rather out of sorts that day, keeping to herself for most of the afternoon."

"Maybe she was worried that you would notice that they already had been acquainted, you can be very forceful when you wish, my dear, subtlety is not your strong point."

"Mr Bennet, I only do what is required, the girls are too laid back in their attitude towards men, well Lydia has a bit more enthusiasm, but Lizzy and Jane need a push in that direction.

"Jane told me what had occurred prior to their visit. It was obvious that there was something there, maybe even love on his part." Mrs Bennet was ever so hopeful for an alliance between the gentleman and her second eldest, even more so now she knew his worth. However, Mr Bennet had dreaded this day, when the time had come that a gentleman would take an interest in his most favourite offspring.

"We will soon find out what has happened, when they return," Mr Bennet surmised, as he got out of bed. "I feel that I am in need of a good breakfast this morning, all that travelling over the past few days has given me an appetite."

"Make this your last decent breakfast, dear, for I will be talking to cook and it will be breads and preserves from now on, no more ham and eggs for you."

* * *

"Darcy, are you around, ol' chap?" Richard called out as he came into the front entrance, "Where the hell is everyone?" Richard couldn't even understand where the butler was or Mrs Reynolds, the place was deserted.

Little did he know that Darcy had gone to the stables to check one of the mares, which had gone into labour early. Mrs Reynolds had called a quick staff meeting, as the previous few days had been rather a concern, as the servants were a bit of a to-do, due to the sudden wedding and a new mistress now in residence.

Elizabeth, however, was in the music room and came out into the vestibule, when she heard the gentleman call out. As she came into sight, Richard saw her from the corner of his eye and turned suddenly. "Well… What have we here? Darcy did not tell me he had another little filly in the waiting to take Roses' place. You are a pretty little thing, aren't you," he said, as he strutted up to her, as if she were his prey.

Elizabeth could do nothing but stand there, frozen to the spot, "Who…Who are you sir?" she stammered.

"Oh, you may call me Richard, I do not care for formal introductions, particularly not with such a luscious creature as yourself. I would like to get to know you better," he said, as he stroked her cheek with the back of his index finger. Elizabeth flinched at his contact and tried to move away, but Richard had her trapped against the wall.

"Please, let me be, I beg of you," she whimpered, as he brought his body close to hers.

"Oh… that is no way to treat a cousin of Darcy's. He does not know it, but he has always shared his mistresses with me, they do like a bit of rough. Rose especially, she liked a bit of buggery, what say you?"

Elizabeth tried to push him away, but he was too strong. All she could do was close her eyes and turn her head away from him, hoping he would disappear. This, however, allowed him access to her neck, which he took advantage of with eagerness, as soon as he made contact she screamed, "Get off me, you brute!" and now gathering her courage together, she started to slap him repeatedly.

"Oh feisty, I like that in a woman, so you are…."

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF HER, RICHARD!" boomed Darcy, as he came into the vestibule from the main entrance.

As Richard turned, Elizabeth escaped his embrace and run into Darcy's arms, which were already outstretched.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING? YOU IDIOT!" Darcy shouted, but whispered his apology to Elizabeth, for his language.

"Oh Darce, do not be like that. I was only having a bit of fun with your new bit of skirt, how long have you had this one for? She seems rather wild."

"What the… Richard, did you not see my mother's ring?"

"No, have you lost it? Why are you changing the subject to the family jewels?" Richard said, not realising what Darcy had meant.

"THE RING IS ON HER FINGER!" he screamed back.

Richard gazed down to the hand that was now resting on Darcy's shoulder and noticed the large diamond and ruby ring upon Elizabeth's finger. "She is your fiancé?" Richard gulped back.

"NO!.. SHE!.. IS!.. MY!.. WIFE!"

The air turned grim, as Richard fell back against the wall. _Shit! What have I done? I have accosted the mistress of Pemberley. However, she is a pretty little thing._ "Darcy, I am really sorry, I did not realise, I thought she was a new…. well you know, I thought she had replaced Rose."

Darcy stood there with Elizabeth in his arms, still shaking as she sobbed. "As you can see, she is not. I would appreciate it if you left, as you have rather upset her."

"Yes, I will go… Mrs Darcy, please forgive me, I was not aware…" Richard sighed, as he gave up his apology on seeing Elizabeth in such a state, he knew that she would not hear or acknowledge his reparation. "I will await your contact Darcy, I will be at Matlock Manor." With that Richard left.

Darcy picked his wife up in his arms and carried her upstairs and into her bedchambers, where he lay her down. Lying next to her, he held her close, waiting patiently for the sobs to ebb away. As she fell silent, he looked down at her and on seeing she had not fallen to sleep, he asked, "What did he do to you? Did he hurt you?"

"He pinned me up against the wall and touched my face and kissed me, along my throat," she whimpered.

"Oh darling, I am so sorry, the man is a cad! What was he thinking of?"

"He said he had all your other mistresses, especially Rose."

"I am sorry you now know her name, I did try and keep that from you as I felt you particularly did not wish to know. What else did he say?"

"He wanted to bugger me!" she cried out, with another wave of sobs.

"For heaven's sake! I need to speak to him. I will not allow his behaviour to carry on like this, he cannot go around accosting every woman he sees," he said, as he rose from the bed.

"You are going now?" Elizabeth gasped, "do not leave me."

"I have to, I will have Sophie sit with you. That reminds me, we need to arrange a proper lady's maid for you."

"No! Can I have Mrs Reynolds here instead, I feel more at ease with her."

"Of course, I will instruct her to come up." With that Darcy kissed her reassuringly and left.

As he reached the ground floor, he saw the butler allowing entrance to Charlotte and the baby. "Mrs Wickham, I am glad you are here, there has been an incident and Elizabeth is rather shaken. I need to go and sort it out, can you go and sit with her, please."

"Yes, of course," Charlotte said with concern, "where is she?"

"She is in her rooms, I will have Mrs Reynolds take you to her, she is expecting Mrs Reynolds, but feel your company will be more appropriate."

As Charlotte entered the room, she saw Elizabeth on the bed, her head buried into the pillow and her body tense.

"Lizzy, whatever is the matter?" she asked.

Darcy had not gone far before he spotted Richard in the distance, sitting under one of the trees, bordering the woodlands.

"I thought you may come after me, so stopped a distance from the house. Darce, please forgive my stupidity, I did not mean…" But as he was about to reason with the man, Darcy lashed out and punched him square on the nose."

"Shit! What the hell did you do that for? It was a mistake!" Richard said as he stumbled back against the trunk of the tree.

"That is for assaulting my wife," and with that he hit him again in the gut. "and that is for helping yourself to all my previous mistresses!"

"Darcy, they were gagging for it, especially Rose. You wouldn't indulge in her whim, so I did," he gasped, as he was bent over double.

"What! she wanted me to take her up the…" at this Darcy stopped and closed his eyes. "God! Richard you buggered her! You do know that you can hang for that!"

At this, Richard just looked up and smiled, "Only if I am caught in the act."

"Good grief! I do not want you anywhere near here for the foreseeable future. As it is, Elizabeth has a lot of adjusting to do, she comes from a small estate and this is a monumental change for her."

"Elizabeth? Pretty name for a pretty lady," he smiled, "So… how is it that you married so suddenly?"

"I fell in love with her at first sight and could not wait."

"Think you would have been better off taking her as a mistress, less hassle."

"WHAT! I wanted her as my wife, I want her to have my children and for us to be a family. Do you not understand that this is not just about me burying myself into some whore, for some carnal relief. Because that is what they all were, glorified whores!"

"So you plan on not bedding other women now you are married, I cannot see that lasting long," Richard smirked.

"Elizabeth is my wife, I have taken my vows in front of god, I will not make her a Cuckquean. _So_ _… Mr Fitzwilliam, you will need to find your own bit of skirt from now on!_ " and with that Darcy got back onto his horse and returned to Pemberley.

* * *

It was late evening, when the Darcy carriage pulled up at Longbourn. Mr Bennet was in his study which was located at the front of the house, so could see the vehicle's arrival from his window. As he stood and walked into the vestibule, he saw Mrs Bennet come out of the parlour in a flurry, announcing that the Gardiners had returned early with their daughter.

As the door opened, Mr and Mrs Gardiner entered, but Mr Bennet was immediately drawn to the fact that there was one person missing. "Where is Elizabeth, Edward?" he asked.

"Thomas, I think we need to talk… in private."


	12. Darcy Meets Bennet

"What has happened?" Mr Bennet asked, as his brother closed the door to the study.

"Sit down Thomas, there is something important I need to explain to you and you will not like what I have to say."

Mr Bennet sank down into the armchair, his pulse was racing as all manner of thoughts filled his head. "Is Lizzy injured or ill?" he asked, hoping that neither was the case.

"No, she is well enough… Thomas, I do not know how to tell you, so I will just be blunt. Lizzy is married."

Mr Bennet's heart jumped and a gasp escaped from his lips. "Married? No, she cannot be."

"I am afraid she is. It was all rather quick and I had to act accordingly," Mr Gardiner winced on his words, for they did not sound that bad in his head.

"Accordingly? What do you mean?" Mr Bennet said suspiciously, now wondering what had occurred to make his brother act 'accordingly'. Had his daughter been used so abominably that she had no choice other than to be forced into a marriage? For he could not see any other reason for having to wed in such haste. She was too intelligent to get herself compromised in a romantic way.

Mr Gardiner took the chair next to the squire. "Elizabeth has married for love, however, it was not done in the proper order… She fell in love before our trip and whilst on the travels, she encountered the gentleman again."

"Mr Darcy," Mr Bennet whispered.

"Yes, she is now married to that gentleman.

"Mr Darcy was at home, when we requested a tour of Pemberley. None of our party, including Lizzy, knew that he was the owner of the house. Whilst we toured, he made himself known to us and we had a delightful day there. He requested we stay as his guests, which myself and Maddie accepted. He has a wonderful trout stream which flows into the lake," he smiled enthusiastically, but cleared his throat when he saw Mr Bennet's expression, which was not altogether pleasing. "Maddie and I could see they were keen on each other, but did not anticipate what happened."

"What happened?" Mr Bennet growled.

"It was about three or four days into our stay at Pemberley, when Maddie ventured into Lizzy's bedchambers, it was quite early and she was shocked to see Mr Darcy in bed with Lizzy. Maddie of course screamed and Mr Darcy woke up." Mr Bennet plunged his head into his hands, shaking it in denial of what Mr Gardiner was saying. "I spoke with him privately at length and I was told that he had already proposed to Lizzy and that he promised me that he had not taken her virtue, although he had taken liberties with her. Lizzy later divulged that it was she who was beckoning him on, and he could not resist her until it came to the final act."

"Good god! He compromised her!" Mr Bennet cried out.

"Yes, but as I said, not fully, she was still a maiden when they wed. Mr Darcy had already purchased a special marriage licence in London before returning to Pemberley, so it was only a case of getting the parson to marry them. I had to take it upon myself to give consent, as custodian in possession of your letter, I presented it to the parson, who accepted my guardianship of Lizzy. I did not know what else to do."

"So this Mr Darcy loves her?"

"Yes, he is besotted with her, you could not deny his feelings, nor Lizzy's. They seem very happy together."

"But I do not know this man, what has he settled on her? Has that even been discussed?"

"No, it was all too much of a rush, we did not wish to leave it another day. Thomas, he is a very rich man and he loves Lizzy, I do believe that the settlement will be more than acceptable. I understand that he will be travelling to London in the near future to arrange the paperwork."

"So we are not to see this man until then?"

"No, he has invited you to Pemberley… here," he stated, as he handed both Elizabeth's and Darcy's letters over.

Mr Bennet was overcome with emotion, as he read Elizabeth's letter. Her words hit him hard, he had lost his favourite daughter to a man who took liberties, but her words confirmed what her uncle had said, that she coaxed him and that he had struggled to keep control. He knew his daughter's teasing tendencies, she would tease and push someone to their limits, but how could she do it in such a situation, to nearly break the man, what man would not crack under such heightened emotions. He then opened Mr Darcy's letter.

—

 _Pemberley Estate_

 _Derbyshire_

 _20th August 1811_

 _Dear Mr Bennet_

 _I know that this missive will reach you, as you sit there trying to absorb the enormity of your daughter's situation._

 _Please let me first give my sincere apologies at my actions towards Elizabeth. Although I feel tremendous guilt at the way in which I have conducted myself, I also feel my life is now complete and that I have finally found my soul mate, the special someone that I have been searching for, for years._

 _Elizabeth came into my life, when I had almost given up hope of finding that one person, whom I would be happy_ _… no jubilant to accept as my wife, someone whom I would want to spend the rest of my life with. She is Yin to my Yang, we are each other's halves to our complete happiness._

 _As I write this, Elizabeth sits across from me, writing her own note to you. Her pen moves quickly with enthusiasm and she radiates happiness from every inch of her being. I only wished that I had done things differently. The order in which my actions occurred were not that of what a gentleman should have done, even though I was brought up with a strict moral code on how I should conduct myself. I have failed in that and my own father would have been acutely disappointed in me, so I can imagine how you are feeling now, as you read my words on this page._

 _When we were discovered, I had already proposed marriage to your daughter, which she accepted without hesitation. The licence had already been procured and it was only a case of asking either yourself or Mr Gardiner for permission. However, things took a turn that evening and I nearly lost control._

 _I can advise you, Mr Bennet, that I am by no means a poor man. I know this does not count for anything, when it comes to the happiness of one of your daughters, but it means that she will want for nothing. My love she has without question and that will never fade, my worth she does not fully comprehend yet, although she has had an incite into its magnitude, by the scale of my property. I have yet to arrange the settlement, as I wish to discuss with you some finer points. Elizabeth will be very well provided for after my death and whilst I am still living, she will have a very generous allowance._

 _I wish to invite you and your family to Pemberley at your earliest convenience. If it is inconvenient for you to travel at this time, we will be able to journey to Hertfordshire before travelling onto London._

 _I await your reply._

 _God Bless_

 _Fitzwilliam Darcy_

—

Tears filled Mr Bennet's eyes at the thought of his dear daughter. "If this is to be believed, I am rather disappointed in Lizzy. She knows better than to spur a man on in such a way."

"Do not blame her so, her emotions were new and she did not know how to control them. Myself and Maddie should have seen this coming and been more cautious, although we did not anticipate them ending up in bed together, considering our rooms were the furthest they could possibly be from the family wing.

"Mr Darcy is a charming man, he is very good natured, treats his staff and tenants with respect. I have not seen anything to make me think that he will not make her happy."

Mr Bennet then realised that she had not gone into this ignorant of what would happen, for she had access to his more adult material in his library, some of which was quite vulgar. He had encouraged her to read, for he wished her to go to the marriage as an equal, in knowledge of what would happen after she wed. "It is my fault also," he stated, "I allowed Lizzy to read such books, that only a man would look upon. She was not ignorant to what would happen."

"I do not think anyone should take the monopoly of the blame here, we all had a part to play in it. Myself, Maddie, you, Lizzy and Darcy. What is done is done, at least there is no risk of being with child."

"I am not angry. I am, however, saddened at the loss of my daughter, and to someone who lives so far away," he said quietly. "It will be many months between visits, something I will find hard to bear."

"Maddie is with the others, I have asked her to give the rest of the family a version that is easier to swallow. Do you wish for Francis to come in here, so we can tell her the truth?" Mr Gardiner asked.

"Yes, she will need to know, for it may hold her tongue in check… hopefully," he said, knowing that his wife would take every opportunity to boast about the advantageous marriage.

As Mrs Bennet entered the room, she could feel the heavy atmosphere that prevailed, unlike the joyous occasion that was being had in the parlour. "What is wrong? Mr Bennet, why are you looking so sad, it is good news, is it not?"

"Francis sit down, there is more," Mr Gardiner said. As she sat, Mrs Bennet listened as her brother told her the whole situation, a few gasps were heard, but on the whole she was at least relieved that the ring was now on her daughter's finger.

"Headstrong foolish girl, what was she thinking. What would have happened if he did go through with taking her innocence and then to plead ignorance of the proposal? Where would she be?" Mrs Bennet said. "So are we to travel or are they to come here?"

"Let them travel here, I will not feel comfortable in his home, not on the first meeting."

"I can understand that, maybe they can both stay here," Mrs Bennet suggested, not thinking about the fact that they were newlyweds and needed their own space.

"I would feel better if they did not, they can stay with Bingley. He can accommodate them, as he is that man's best friend and was probably well aware of Darcy's intentions."

"I hope you do not think ill of Mr Bingley, Thomas, he has done nothing wrong. It is not his place to go telling all and sundry of his friend's affairs. Besides, you will put Jane's happiness in jeopardy."

"I will keep my eye on that man then, I will not have Jane ended up in the same situation. I will write a letter tomorrow to let Mr Darcy know that they need to come here."

"Do you mind, brother, if Maddie and I stay here for a couple of weeks? We are not due back in London for nearly three weeks, so can be here when they arrive."

"Yes, you can have Lizzy's old room, she will not need it anymore. What about the carriage and horses that brought you here, that was not a hired vehicle."

"No, it was Mr Darcy's carriage. They have gone to the coach inn and will return to Derbyshire in the morning. We will take the post back to London in a fortnight's time."

* * *

Three days had passed when Mr Bennet's letter arrived at Pemberley. Elizabeth saw the missive on her husband's desk, as she entered his study, causing her to panic. "William, that is a letter from father!" she cried out.

"Is it? I assumed it was from one of my acquaintances from London." On opening the communication, he frowned in puzzlement.

"What is it, is he angry?"

"No," he said, as he handed the letter over to his wife.

"Oh? It is very short, I do not understand. All he has said is that they cannot travel and wish for us to go to Hertfordshire and stay at Netherfield, whilst in the area. I can sense from what he has written that he is not angry, it seems from his words that he is quite upset, for father does go rather taciturn when in that mood," Elizabeth said with sadness, "I have let him down."

"You have not, do not say that!"

"But William, I am his daughter and the one who supposedly had the intelligence and I acted in such a ridiculous fashion."

"It was not ridiculous, we acted as our emotions wished us to. It is only propriety which has governed it to be ridiculous. Could you imagine if the world was such that no such morals were in existence. No one would say anything untoward about being intimate before marriage.

"If we had not acted in the way we did, you would be in Matlock by now, with your aunt and uncle, finishing your trip. Who knows if I would have had the courage to propose to you, as you would have pulled away from me time and time again, as you did in Hertfordshire. I would not have given up, but it would have been a difficult time for both of us, trying to fight our feelings. Your father still would have lost his daughter to a man who lived one hundred and fifty miles away, only it would have taken considerably longer."

"I am sorry, I am being silly. I am a bit out of sorts today."

"Why? What is the matter, are you ill?" Darcy asked with concern.

"No, I am fine. It is only that I can feel things stirring in my body, that cannot be stopped."

"Such as?" Darcy asked, puzzled at his wife's riddle.

"William, do I have to explain," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, you mean your… courses?"

"They are due today, I can feel my body readying itself for mother nature's little monthly gift," she shrugged.

"Will you still come to my chambers tonight?" Darcy asked, hoping she would agree and not lock herself away like some wives do.

"Would you wish for me to disturb you at such a time, knowing that I am in no state to please you."

"What do you mean, not please me? I can understand if you are in pain, then we do not have to make love, but if you are not, then I cannot see why we cannot share a bath together."

"Oh, but William, it is all rather messy."

"It will not be, if we are in the bath."

"It sounds like you are experienced in this already," she murmured.

"Lizzy, I am sorry, I should have not suggested it. If you feel you wish to go to your chambers, you can, but I am not squeamish in the slightest, it is part of you and a natural process in life."

"I should be fine, I do not get much pain and if I do it is only the first day."

"How long are you usually bleeding for?" Darcy asked, without any hesitation for his wife's dignity.

"William, do we have to discuss this in such detail?"

"Yes, I need to know these things. If you are too shy to tell me, then maybe we can have some sort of code. I have a red cravat upstairs, if I give it to you, you can tie it to the bed post when you start and remove it when you finish, that way I know where I stand and can make arrangements accordingly," he laughed.

"You are terrible," Elizabeth chuckled, "but it is a good idea. I am usually three to four days and the last day is virtually nothing."

During the night, Elizabeth rose from the bed and made her way to the commode in her own rooms, for she did not dare use her husband's. On her way back, she took the cravat from the dresser and tied it around the bed post on Darcy's side of the bed. As she did this, he stirred and sat up, watching as she tied the knot. "Come to bed, darling," he said, as he held his arms out to her. She lay down beside her husband, who pulled her into a gentle embrace. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, just a bit uncomfortable."

* * *

Five days later, the newlyweds were on their way to Hertfordshire. Darcy had written to Mr Bennet the day after he had received word from Longbourn, stating that they would be travelling the beginning of the following week.

As they approached Meryton on the third day of their journey, Elizabeth became rather melancholy. "What is it, my love?"

"Just thinking about my life here," she sighed.

"It is not as if you will not be coming back, we have the house in London, which is not far from here and if Bingley gives up his lease at Netherfield, I can always buy a cottage."

"I am sure that will not be necessary, we will be able to stay at Longbourn, eventually. I believe it is only because it is the first meeting that father wished for us to stay at Netherfield."

"Do you wish to stay at Longbourn? Not being able to do what we wish, for fear of being heard," he laughed.

"I didn't think of that, we will be heard as you can hear Lydia and Kitty talking, so your groans will surely be heard by everyone."

" _My groans?_ What about your whimpering and cries, you are very vocal, especially when my fingers touch that spot."

"William, shush! The coachmen will hear."

"They will not, it is too noisy outside… So a cottage?"

"Yes, but only if Mr Bingley gives up Netherfield Hall or we outstay our welcome."

As they arrived at Netherfield Hall, Elizabeth was shocked to see Jane and her mother standing by the entrance. Bingley had invited Jane and as Mrs Bennet was eager to see her married daughter, she invited herself along as chaperone.

"At least we can deal with a couple of your family members to start with, better in small doses."

"Yes, but we are talking mother here, she will try and kiss you, you do realise."

"Oh no! How do I get out of that, feign a cold?"

"No, she will see straight through that, for we all did it when we were children."

As Darcy got out of the carriage, he quickly turned and held out his hand for Elizabeth to descend. On seeing the couple, Mrs Bennet almost ran up to them and hugged Elizabeth so hard, that she thought she heard a small whalebone in her stays crack. As predicted, Mrs Bennet lunged in and kissed Darcy on the cheek, making him blush. "Mr Darcy, I did not take you for a shy one," Mrs Bennet laughed and a small smile formed on the gentleman's face.

Jane's greeting was more reserved to Darcy's relieve, but Bingley uncharacteristically gave him a hug and a slap on the back, which almost knocked the wind out of him. "Congratulations ol' chap. Glad you got your woman at last. I don't think I would be able to put up with your pining for much longer, before I shot you with my pistol."

"I was not that bad, was I?"

"Oh Darcy, you pined and moped about the place. I am sure that if I did not know, you could have been mourning someone's death... Come, let us return to the parlour, I have tea ready as I would imagine you are parched."

"We are… and travel beaten. Can we change first, Bingley, I fear I am rather in need of a change of clothing, being in a hot carriage for most of the day."

"Of course, I have put you in your normal room. Will Mrs Darcy require her own bedchambers? I have prepared a suite next door for her."

"Lizzy, what do you want to do?" Darcy asked.

"Oh, erm?" she said rather embarrassed, as she had to decide in the presence of her mother, but seeing her mama beaming with a smile and almost nodding her head in acceptance, she stated, "I will sleep with my husband, if that is acceptable." She looked back at her mother, who threw a wink in her direction, making Elizabeth chuckle with nerves.

Jane and Mrs Bennet were to stay the night and return to Longbourn with Darcy and Elizabeth, in the morning. Darcy thought the idea of being greeted by a portion of the family quite good. He knew Jane would be easy going, for she knew to some extent of what had happened in Hertfordshire and she was so good natured that she did not see wrong in anyone or anything. Mrs Bennet was also quite amiable towards the young gentleman, a far cry to what he thought Mr Bennet would be like.

It was not until after dinner, that Elizabeth had the courage to ask her mama how Mr Bennet was. As Mr Bingley took Jane into the music room with a maid as chaperone, Elizabeth asked the question that had plagued her for some days. "Mother, how has father taken the news, his letter did not divulge anything and I have been worried."

"Well Lizzy, he is not pleased, but he is not angry either. He feels he has let you down, but your uncle tried to explain it was no one's fault, it was a combination of errors made by a few."

"A few?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes, your father feels the guilt, due to the fact that he let you read all that literature. Heaven knows why he did that, it only made you more aware of carnal lusts. Your uncle and aunt feel that they did not pay enough attention to you, when left alone in Mr Darcy's company," Mrs Bennet stated as she eyed Darcy with a raised brow. This sent the man into a blush so deep that anyone would have thought he had got sunburn the previous day. "Of course you and Mr Darcy are far from blameless, but you Lizzy, how could you act in such a way and tease Mr Darcy so, knowing that he was trying to restrain himself."

"I do not know, we were just caught up in the moment, I suppose."

"Mrs Bennet, it was my fault. Even though Lizzy wished for things to progress, I should have not been in that room in the first place. My being there was premeditated, however, I only wished to watch her sleep, as I could not sleep myself. When she woke, I should have removed myself quickly, before things got out of hand."

"It seems that everyone wishes to take the blame, well I never! All I can say is what's done is done and there is no going back to correct it. We just need to move on with life and everyone will be happy," Mrs Bennet surmised.

"But papa will not be so happy."

"Lizzy, dear child… Your father knew this day would come, he cannot hide you from the gentlemen of society in order to make you an old maid. I do wonder though if that was his intention, when he did not wish to take you to town on your coming out?" she pondered.

"He told me he didn't like the society in town," Elizabeth stated.

"Oh a man after my own heart, I detest it also," Darcy said.

"But you have a house there. Where is it again?" Elizabeth asked.

"Grosvenor Square, I only have a house there, as I have to be seen to partake in the season, if only for my sister's benefit. She will have her first season in two years time, when she is eighteen. So until then, I have to be seen in high society. It will be easier now that I have you on my arm, Lizzy," he smiled as he looked into his wife's eyes, but pulled his gaze away, when he remembered her mother in the room.

* * *

The following morning the whole party left Netherfield Hall for Longbourn. As everyone descended from the carriage, Darcy caught the eye of Mr Bennet. Gathering his courage, he made his way directly to his new father and bowed before him. "Good morning sir, I believe there are some matters which we need to discuss, I would rather it be done straight away, if that is to your liking."

Mr Bennet was taken aback at the celerity of his request, for he had yet to greet the rest of the family. Darcy, however, just wanted to get it over and done with, so that he could at least enjoy there rest of the day, without a knife hanging over his head."

"Yes, I think it is probably best for us to get this sorted out quickly… come," Mr Bennet stated, as he walked into the house, with Darcy following.

Elizabeth watched the two men she loved most in the world, enter the study. She hoped that at least some sort of understanding would be agreed upon, without raised voices.

"Sit, Mr Darcy," Mr Bennet beckoned his new son to take a seat beside the desk, where he placed himself. Mr Bennet could see that Darcy was nervous, what man wouldn't be in his situation.

"Do not fear me sir, for I will not bite you. We do need to discuss matters such as the settlement. There is no use going over what has occurred as my brother has already explained the situation, and yours and Lizzy's letters were enough."

"But, I thought you would wish to discuss it further?"

"I do not need to hear what happened, I would rather be in ignorance of it. You compromised my daughter to some extent and you married her. Now we need to look to the future and I need to ensure she will be cared for."

The men discussed the settlement and to Mr Bennet's surprise, Darcy had also included a cottage for Mrs Bennet and any unmarried daughters that still lived at home, when they were to depart from Longbourn. All other aspects were agreed and Mr Bennet felt a relief to know that Elizabeth would be well catered for, before and after Darcy's death.

Elizabeth sat in the parlour, not hearing anything that was being said around her, even though more than one voice was being raised. Her thoughts were only of the two men, who sat beyond that door in the corridor. She got up and wandered over to the study door, where she stopped to listen, hoping to hear some of what was being discussed.

"Lizzy, what have I said about listening at the door," Mrs Bennet chastised.

"But mama, it is to do with me. I want to go in."

"You cannot, leave the men to get on with whatever they need to get on with."

"I cannot," she said as she knocked on the door.

Mr Bennet opened it on hearing the tap, "Papa, I want to be present," she asked.

"I do not think that is advisable."

"Why ever not? It is to do with me, after all. I do not doubt William would have anything against me joining you." At this, Mr Bennet looked to Darcy, who nodded in agreement to let her in.

"Sit down then. I will not be judge and jury to what you have already done, I have already told Mr Darcy that much. However, we need to sort out your future."

"Future?"

"The settlement needs to be finalised. Mr Darcy has advised me that he does not wish for your dowry. However, I have insisted on this. He may wish to invest it for you, but that is a matter for you to discuss, between yourselves.

"Your personal allowance has been defined as five hundred and twenty pounds a year, paid on a monthly basis. This is not to include the purchases made in order to start and maintain your personal library, Darcy has allowed additional funds for that, the value is not to be less than one hundred pounds a year for the first two years, then reduce down to fifty pounds a year, thereafter. Of course he will pay more, if needed but we both feel that this is plenty. Mr Darcy has also stipulated that if you do not spend it, he will buy the books for you and heaven help you if they prove to be books on angling," he smirked.

"But.. That is a silly sum of money, my library will be as big as the main library by the end of the two years. I suppose that last clause is so that I spend it."

"Yes it is. The books will be more expensive, as they will be leather bound, so will cost more. It is astonishing how that amount of money will be spent in no time," Darcy stated.

Mr Bennet continued, "If there is any surplus allowances at the end of the year, you have a choice of investing that money along with your dowry. Darcy has assured me that although this will be in his name, the funds will be kept separate from the main estate. The jointure, as a rule is one third of Mr Darcy's lands and he has agreed to this."

"Lord! I feel like I am a prize cow at a cattle market. Are you going to haggle over my true value?" she laughed.

"Lizzy, this is no laughing matter, this is your future we are trying to secure. One slip up and you may find yourself in dire straits, if Mr Darcy was to die before you." At this, Lizzy became reticent. _How will I live without him? I cannot even comprehend him being away from me on a trip, let alone gone for good!_

"Besides, you are priceless to me, so I doubt I could pay your value," Darcy said as he tried to sooth a now quietened wife. He brushed a stray tendril from her cheek, making Elizabeth look up to him. "Do not fret over all this, sweetheart, it may seem harsh and dare I say, morbid, but it will safeguard you."

Mr Bennet saw the show of affection and felt rather awkward, as he watched the newlyweds exchange glances. Clearing his throat, he continued, "I understand that you have already received some of the Darcy family jewels and that there are more valuable ones locked away in London," at this Elizabeth nodded. "There is also the matter of your trousseaux, which Mr Darcy has advised me that you are already procuring in Chesterfield and in London next week. He has agreed to pay for this, but I will also provide funds. I would like you to buy something special with this, Lizzy. Maybe jewels that you can pass down to your daughters, see it as an addition to the Darcy jewels so to speak."

Elizabeth began to cry, "Papa, you do not have to do this. I am sure the money can be shared out between the rest of my sisters."

"Do not worry so, It is not a fortune so adding it to any dowry will not make much difference. I have put the same aside for each of my five daughters, you are not being singled out. It is a case of them not knowing and I would like to keep it that way, even your mother is not aware."

So, I think we have discussed enough to get this written up. I take it that you will be completing the final copy of this in London, next week."

"Yes, there are a few things that need to be done, so I can arrange to have it written up and signed there, then I can return a copy to you on the way back to Pemberley."

"So the book purchases begin next week," Mr Bennet laughed.

"Yes sir, I think we need to get our priorities right," he smiled, as he felt more relaxed now that their initial meeting was almost over.

"If you wouldn't mind, Mr Darcy, I would like to speak to Elizabeth alone."

"Of course. I will return to the rest of the family in the parlour." Darcy stood, bowed and left the room, but as he passed his wife, he placed his hand upon her shoulder and gave it a light squeeze to reassure her.

As Darcy shut the door to the study, he exhaled a deep breath. The parlour door was ajar and he could see the family taking tea. As he walked into the room, everyone stood to greet the new member of the family. Lydia, however, was first to say something, "So Mr Darcy, do you want my Christmas present list now, or will tomorrow suffice," she giggled.

"Lydia, behave!" Jane chastised, "The poor man has just walked into the room and you are already demanding presents."

"Poor, he is not!" Lydia responded with a snort.

"Now Liddie dear, you need to keep your thoughts to yourself. We do not wish to scare off the gentleman, now do we."

"Mama, I was only making some fun, lord! Where is everyone's humour nowadays and why am I so hungry?" she huffed.

"You know you have to cut down on what you are eating, you do not fit into half of your dresses and soon you will not fit into the carriage."

"Maybe she should walk along side it."

"Oh shut up, Kitty, just because you can eat what you want and not swell, does not give you licence to mock me."

"I have to eat what you do! Because mother has cut your portions, she has seen fit to cut mine!"

"Girls! Girls! Behave, or you will go to your rooms!" Mrs Bennet shouted, "I am really sorry, Mr Darcy, you will need to get used to the chaos in this house."

"I find it all rather entertaining, if I am quite frank."

At that moment, Elizabeth and Mr Bennet joined the rest of the party. Elizabeth saw a space next to her husband on one of the settees and sat down beside him. He took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles, "Are you well?"

"Yes, I am fine. Father just wanted to make sure I was not kidnapped and coerced into marriage," she chuckled.

Elizabeth looked across the room at Jane, who was deep in conversation with Mr Bingley. "William, do you think they will become as close as we are?" she whispered.

"I dare say Bingley is almost there. I cannot say for your sister, as you have already told me that she does not show her feelings. She will do better to show more than she feels, so that Bingley is in no doubt of her mind."

"I will have a chat to her later this afternoon. Papa has told me that he will be inviting you, uncle and Mr Bingley to go hunting with him this afternoon. The coveys have been too comfortable in the trees for far too long."

After luncheon, the men in the party disappeared with their rifles. Mrs Bennet did not begrudge her husband his sport, but detested the sound of the gunfire, which resonated about the house. "Oh my poor nerves! Your father is determined to send me into an early grave, for he knows how that noise affects me."

"At least you will not have to worry about being destitute after papa is gone, for you will go before him," Lydia laughed.

"That is not funny. You should wash your mouth out with rock salt," Mary censured.

"Oh, HA HA!"

As the younger sisters were bickering, Elizabeth went into the kitchen, where Jane was preparing herbs to be hung for drying. "Jane, so… what is with you and Mr Bingley? You look very well together. One could say, in love?"

"Oh Lizzy, I cannot hide anything from you," Jane smiled, "Yes, I do find him the best of men. I am not sure how he feels, but one thing is for sure, I cannot stop thinking about him."

"Oh I believe he feels the same way, his friend is certainly under that impression."

"Has William let you into some sort of secret, Lizzy?"

"No, it is just that he knows his friend and tells me that he is almost on his way to being so in love with you. I will ask him to enquire further tonight, when we return to Netherfield. William can apply some brandy to him, to loosen his tongue."

Jane gasped, "You cannot allow him to do that, it will seem all rather devious."

"Two friends having a midnight drink before bed is not devious. They talk all the time, from what I can gather. Mr Bingley certainly knew about how William felt about me."

"Mr Darcy had to confide in someone, as you did push him away on more than one occasion. You made it your mission to not hear him out for some duration."

"Well, that all changed at Pemberley," she grinned.

"Prey do tell, you cannot keep me in suspense."

"Not here, Jane, get your shawl and we can go for a walk in the gardens."

As the sisters strolled the gardens to the rear of the house, they could see the men in the distant fields. Darcy had just shot down a pheasant and a cheer was heard from Mr Bingley, "Well done sir, I am sure that will be on Longbourn's table by the end of the week."

"Well, let's hope I can shoot down another, so we are invited back to help eat the darn things," Darcy cried out over the next gunshot, " _Oh bad luck Bingley, you never was any good at shooting down your target._ "

"I blame my eyesight."

"There is nothing wrong with your eyesight, maybe it is your shaky hands." Darcy saw another bird and took aim, again the poor creature fell to the ground, where the English Pointer ran to retrieve it.

"So is that my invite back, Mr Bennet?" Darcy said, with a smile.

"Yes, of course, although three would be better, do you think you could get another before the afternoon is out?"

"If there are birds to be had, I'll shoot them down." Darcy knew he was a good aim and very rarely missed. It was such that a further three pheasant were taken from the skies, before they returned to the house.

As the shooting contest was being had between the two younger gentlemen, Lizzy had confided in Jane of all that had happened at Pemberley, but with the exception of their most intimate times. "William thinks I should make some breeches for you, so that you can entice Mr Bingley into your snare," she laughed.

"I have always wanted a pair, but do not have the courage to wear them."

"What about if I lend you my spare pair and we go horse riding tomorrow? I know you ride side saddle, but it will be far more comfortable, either way."

"Oh do you think I should dare? Oh I do feel rather naughty."

"They are in the ottoman at the end of the bed, along with a waistcoat and shirt. I suggest you wear your riding boots, they will come up over the hem of your breeches so you will not show any flesh on your legs. I have my cream set, so will wear those. You will not be able to miss my husband's reaction, when he sees me in them. I will have to push his eyeballs back into their sockets," she laughed.

So it was decided that Jane would pack the outfit in a small bag and change when she got to Netherfield. Elizabeth warned her, however, that she would have to tell William of what was going to happen, so that he would be prepared.

It was midnight before the Darcys and Mr Bingley took their leave. Elizabeth gave an encouraging smile to her sister, Jane, before she ascended the carriage. Hopefully, tomorrow would bring such excitement to all and the desire of the happiest of endings to the day would be fulfilled.


	13. Can't See the Wood for all of the Trees

**5th September 1811**

"William, are you awake?" Elizabeth asked as they lay in bed.

"Yes, although I should not be, not after a sleepless night I had last night."

"What did you make of today? I was quite shocked at father's reaction. Although I should not be so, as he has presented himself as rather apathetic at times in the past."

"I did expect some sort of interrogation. He did seem too easily resolved on the matter."

"I must say that father was quite taken with you by the end of the day, it must be all those coveys you shot down."

"Those coveys have secured our invite to dine, before we leave for London. Now that I have faced your father and we are of an understanding, it will be a delight to come visiting. Your whole family are very pleasing, although rather loud. Even Lydia is becoming quite a firm favourite of mine," he smiled.

At this Elizabeth lifted her head and looked at her husband, with dismay. "Oh? I thought I was your favourite?" she said in mock annoyance.

"You are, but out of your sisters, I can see a soft spot developing for that little lady, in a brotherly way of course."

"It will be wonderful at Christmas… Talking of which, did you see the note she pushed into my hand? It was her present list, it is as long as your arm!"

"I got the same list pushed into my hand as we said our goodbyes, so she must have duplicated it to make sure she got her point across. I noticed the mention of a ball. I assume she does not mean the spherical kind."

"We could hold a ball at Pemberley? Invite all the family and Mr Bingley… Even Miss Bingley and the Hursts if they wish to come, Mr and Mrs Wickham, but not your cousin."

"No, I do not want him near you, not until he has changed his ways and apologised with sincerity, though I doubt that will ever happen."

What about Mrs Reynolds? I would love to invite her as a guest."

"Mrs Reynolds? I think it may cause a stir with the other members of my staff and my acquaintances of the ton. Maybe we can hold a separate party for them the following day, not a ball, but a low key affair, where less gentry will be present. Lydia can go to both if she wishes, she may even be twice as happy."

They settled back down to sleep, but Elizabeth remembered her words to her sister. "Oh William, did you find out about how Mr Bingley feels towards Jane?"

"He drank half the bottle of brandy before he admitted he is besotted with her, he is struggling whether to propose or not, as he does not know her feelings. Have you discussed this with your sister?"

"Oh, I need to tell you," Elizabeth said with enthusiasm, "she feels the same way, but she is struggling to show her true affections, so we have conjured up a plan of attack."

"What?" Darcy laughed. "You are going all militia on us."

"Well, sort of… I am pre-warning you, as I know how you reacted last time." She said biting her lip, "Jane and I will be riding out tomorrow, but we will not be in dresses."

"Oh lord! Breeches?" he groaned in remembrance of the morning in the library.

"Yes, I have my cream outfit with me, but Jane will have the blue set, which she will take from my room at Longbourn. No one knows that I have that set, for I kept it as a back up in case mama decided to take the shears to my cream pair."

"So she will entrap him, as you did me?"

"I did not entrap you, it was not premeditated, unlike now," she giggled, "I did not know you were going to react like that, although I did mean to tease you so at the time."

"Maybe before you ride out, we can re-enact the events here, it will calm me somewhat whilst I watch you get onto your horse, I take it you will ride astride?"

"I will be, but Jane cannot, so she will have to ride side-saddle."

"Lizzy, can you put them on now," he grinned.

"You are insatiable, we have only just made love and it is late, we need to sleep. You can wait until morning," she grinned, as she settled back down into his embrace.

"Oh darling, I love you so much," Darcy gasped, as he felt his wife climax around his fingers. He looked up at her from his kneeling position and gave her a delicious smile.

"You have my juices all over your face," she heaved.

"Yes and you taste like nothing in this world, I cannot get enough of you."

"Well, if you give me your handkerchief, I will use it on myself as I am still quite wet and you know what happened last time. You can then have me with you all day," she giggled.

"Lizzy, that is rather unladylike!" he grinned, failing miserably to keep a straight face at her suggestion.

"Mm, but I bet you have silently thought about it, just do not lend it out to anyone!"

"I might actually tie it around my cock," he groaned. And so it was, Elizabeth sorted herself out with the use of her husband's handkerchief, which he wrapped around himself. "God, that feels good!"

"Are you sure you do not wish for me to return the favour?"

"No, I want to be deliciously hard for a while longer. It will be all the more enjoyable when we do make love, I might even take you across the desk in the library."

"You cannot! It is not your house, what if Mr Bingley walks in?"

"I could lock the doors?" he pleaded.

"No, it is too risky."

"Oh why not spoil my fantasy, Lizzy," he pouted, "I have thought about it since we arrived, Bingley never goes in there."

* * *

As the Darcys ventured down to breakfast, Mr Bingley was already in the breakfast room. He had just taken a sip of coffee, when he saw what Elizabeth was wearing and proceeded to splutter the beverage all over the floor.

"Something wrong, Bingley?" Darcy asked, trying to hold back his laughter.

"What has your wife got on?"

"Breeches, she is going riding with Jane this morning, why?"

"You let your wife go out looking like that?"

"Why ever not, she looks very fine in them and it is not as if we are going out in public, she is only riding along the deserted country lanes," he stated, as he watched his friend's eyes follow his wife. "Bingley!" he commanded, as he did not appreciate the blatant glare upon his wife's bottom. "They are very practical when it comes to horse riding, no skirts to blow around and Lizzy rides astride, so she cannot wear a dress."

"Good lord, I hope I find a woman just like that one day."

"Do you not think you may have already found her?" Elizabeth asked, as she sat at the table. The question promptly sent Bingley into a panic and Elizabeth could see he was in a fluster. "Do not get nervous over something we have all noticed, your regard for my sister cannot be mistaken. Jane is a lovely creature, Mr Bingley, she will make a good wife to whomever wins her heart."

"Does she have many suitors?" Bingley enquired, hoping there was little to no competition to take up battle with.

"No, only one." All of a sudden, Mr Bingley look forlorn. Was he losing her to another due to his lack of confidence? On seeing his expression fall, Elizabeth had to clarify her statement, "And that one is you."

Within half an hour, Jane had arrived. Bingley was hoping that she would also be wearing the same attire as Elizabeth, but was rather disappointed to see her enter the vestibule in a gown. As Jane joined her sister in her bedchambers, Darcy kept his friend company in the parlour. "Why do you not ask her, you have nothing to lose."

"I am nervous, I do not know how she feels about me. I only have what you and Mrs Darcy have told me to go on."

At that moment, both ladies returned to the parlour. Bingley looked up and shot to his feet, when he saw what Jane was wearing. "Miss Bennet! I… I… did not expect… Oh lord!" he said, as he turned around on realisation that his ardour was on show. _Calm down Bingley, you idiot, you need to get a grip_ _… Oh to get a grip of that woman would be heaven… Oh shut up, you pervert!_

Whilst Bingley was calming himself, the rest of the party agreed that it would be a good idea for all to go riding.

"Bingley?"

"Er? Hold on," he said, as his yard softened somewhat. "Yes?" he asked, now calm enough to turn and respond to his friend.

"Elizabeth has requested that we should all go riding together. There is a track down by the edge of the woods, that I had taken to riding before I left for Pemberley."

"Oh, the one where I found you? Yes, that is a pretty path to ride and quite secluded," Elizabeth eyed her husband on the last few words, something he noticed and understood immediately.

It was agreed that all four would ride out along the pathway, which headed towards Oakham Mount. As they made their way to the stables, Darcy had an idea. Pulling his wife over to the side, so that no one else could hear, he whispered, "Lizzy, do you think you could ride with me on my horse, double up."

"Why would you want to do that?"

"Darling, do you not think it romantic to do so, besides your bottom will bounce around and rub me, where I so desperately need rubbing."

"I told you, you should have let me… you know."

"I thought I would be well enough, but with what my boy is wrapped in and you prancing around as you are, I am finding it all rather hard to bear," he lamented.

"I am not prancing, it is not my fault my hips sway so. You cannot see it in a dress, but most women's hips do, it is the way we walk."

"If I were king, I would pass an act to outlaw dress wearing and only breeches to be worn from Monday through to Saturday, with the only exception that on Sundays you may wear your frilly dresses to church."

"Oh and if you were king, you would pass another law to have all wives wear nothing but their lavender water after church service for the rest of the day, I suppose."

Darcy moved forward and nipped his wife's ear, beckoning her to give into his whim. "Please Lizzy, I am in torture here."

"What if you have an accident? Would that not be embarrassing for you?"

"No, do not forget that I have my boy firmly wrapped up, I can adjust it so it will protect my clothing." Elizabeth laughed as she thought how this compared to women's issues. "What is so funny? I am being practical here."

"It sounds like you are preparing for your monthly collywobbles."

Darcy laughed at such a claim, "Do you think Bingley has a red cravat I could borrow."

As they returned to the rest of the party, Darcy stated to the stable boy that he wished for the strongest horse, so that both he and Elizabeth could sit and not put the horse through any discomfort. Darcy mounted the beast and pulled Elizabeth up in front of him. "Oh lord! There is not much room," Elizabeth exclaimed.

"Sit back as far as you can, actually sit slightly on top of me," he said, as she moved slightly further back in the saddle.

"Oh, it is rubbing me… there!" she gasped, as the horse set off on a steady walk. "William, I do not know about you, but I think this will be the death of me."

"Lean back against my chest, it may ease some of the pressure," he stated, but this only put more pressure upon himself. "I think we need to find a quiet spot. Are there any deserted cottages around?"

"No, there is a game keepers hut within the forest, but we cannot, we need to keep up with Mr Bingley and Jane," she said, as she saw the couple in the distance.

"They are going too fast for us, we cannot go above a walk, or I will lose control of the reigns. I am not sure this was such a good idea."

"Oh William, it _is_ a good idea," she sighed. But as she did, she felt a button come undone on her flap and a hand cup around her mons pubis. Darcy scooped her further back towards him and started to caress her folds as they rode through a very secluded area. Elizabeth was breathing erratically and had to grab Darcy's forearms for fear of falling off. "That's it Lizzy, come for me, I want to feel your fanny twitch and jerk around my fingers."

"We need to stop, I want you in me!" she cried.

"There is nowhere to stop, darling."

"Over there, there is a tree behind that big hedge," Elizabeth said desperately.

As soon as Darcy's feet hit the ground, he had his hands around Elizabeth's waist, helping her down. As her body slid down the length of his, reactions of both could not be stifled. "Against the tree, Lizzy, face away from me," he said, as he grabbed her hand and pulled her to the nearest trunk. As she faced the bark, she could feel his hands wrap around her and unfasten the remaining buttons to her breeches. Within seconds they were down around her knees, she was totally exposed to the elements. "Spread your legs slightly, darling," he breathed into her ear from behind. On her slight movement, he plunged his boy into her, making her whimper. His hand came back into contact with her most precious spot, where he gently caressed her, each stroke of his fingers matching the thrust of his body.

As Darcy had been hard for best part of an hour, his reaction was quick and his thrusting ferocious. As he almost reached his point of no return, his lips came into contact with Elizabeth's ear and he plunged his tongue into the crevice, where he licked and bit her lobe. Elizabeth let out a cry, she was equal with her arousal as he, due to the overwhelming stimulations she was receiving. "That's it Lizzy, grip me and milk me dry," he cried and with a final thrust he expelled deep inside her.

He did not remove himself immediately, for he did not wish to lose that intimacy. However, he knew he had to for he could feel his seed begin to ooze out of her. He took his handkerchief, which she had used that morning, from his pocket and as he withdrew, he pushed part of the fabric into her core.

"What are you doing?" she breathed. Not quite comprehending what was going on, due to not yet coming down from the heavenly clouds she always found herself on after love-making.

"Just ensuring you do not show any signs of what has just occurred," he whispered, as he suckled her ear once more.

Both had yet to tidy themselves when they heard voices. "Lord! It's Bingley!" Darcy exclaimed, as he stood away from Elizabeth and tucked himself back into his clothes. "Lizzy, sort yourself out!"

Elizabeth stuffed the handkerchief further into her, allowing some to remain outside of her body and pulled her breeches up. "I cannot keep this in me for long, we need to go back to the house," she said feeling it rather uncomfortable.

"Yes, I think that is best, we can then finish this off in the comfort of our own rooms," he said with a wicked grin.

* * *

As the Darcys were eagerly heading into the woods, the unmarried couple continued along the secluded pathway. Mr Bingley had taken to riding behind Jane, he could see her bottom bouncing up and down in the saddle as the horse trotted along. _Oh to have that rump bounce up and down in my lap, would make me the happiest of men,_ he thought. _That's it Bingley! Pull yourself together and ask her, you cannot go on like this, admiring her from afar. Take control man!_

"Miss Bennet, do you think we can stop for a moment," he called. Jane turned around and smiled, but as she glanced down she could see his member pushing against his breeches and as he got down from his horse, she noticed the tip had shifted and was now poking through the side of the flap.

She could not turn her head away. She was fixated on watching him and knew that she had to make eye contact soon, or he would notice where her gaze had landed. But all she could see was the tip of his yard, hard and glistening with pre-release, having partially escaped from his clothing. She knew as much as Elizabeth, even though she had not read all that her sister had. The girls had several midnight discussions on the subject and views and opinions were talked about in depth.

She had dismounted from the horse and as she turned around he was there, in front of her. He caressed her cheek after brushing her stray windswept locks away from her face. "Miss Bennet… Jane… darling. You must know how I feel about you. I cannot get you out of my thoughts and to be honest, I have been reluctant to even try, as when you are in them, you make me the happiest of men.

"I have struggled for the past week or so, as to whether I should make my feelings known to you, but your sister and Darcy said something to me, that gave me hope, hope that until now I had never dared to embrace." He took a step closer and cupped her cheek in his hand. There, he caressed her bottom lip with his thumb. "Jane, marry me… please?" he whispered, before he planted a tender kiss upon her lips.

Jane had never been kissed before, not even a tender kiss from a suitor, for Mr Bingley was the first man to pay such attentions to her. As he pulled slightly away, she whispered her answer and pulled him into another kiss. As he wrapped his hands about her person, Jane's lips parted and invited him to deepen their affections. She groaned into his mouth, as his tongue played with hers, dancing in the confines of her mouth and then in his.

Bingley was now firm against her body, Jane could feel the object of her desires, pressing against her belly. Without thinking of the impropriety of it all, her hand slowly moved its way down his body until she came into contact with his hardened flesh. There, she caressed the exposed skin and rubbed his juices around the tip with her thumb. "No! What are you doing to me?" he cried. "How did it get out?"

Jane chuckled, "It has been out taking the air since you dismounted your horse. I am surprised you did not feel the draft."

"Oh my lord! I am so embarrassed," he said, trying to pull away and sort himself out, but Jane was having none of it and would not let go.

"Mr Bingley… Charles, please do not pull away from me, you have just asked me to be your wife and I have accepted you. Is this not what married couples do?"

"Yes, but we are not married yet."

"I know, but do you not wish for a small taster of what it will be like, once we are married? Do you not enjoy this?" she asked with an innocence, that only Jane could carry, whilst holding his cock.

"Yes, I enjoy it exceedingly," he urged, as he unfastened the buttons to his flap and so allowing his boy to spring from the confines of his garment.

As Jane's fingers lightly caressed the length of his manhood, Bingley had taken to devouring the crook of her neck. This sent a tingling sensation down her body and made her fanny throb. "Charles, such sensations I feel, my womanhood is aching for your attentions."

"Oh Jane, how I long to feel you, but we cannot do that here."

Jane was having none of it, she grabbed his hand and thrust it into the confines of her breeches, through the gap, "Feel me Charles, feel my need for you."

He caressed her folds. His own desires were about to come to a conclusion and as he passed the point of no return, he removed his fingers from her and sucked hard on them, tasting her nectar for the first time. "Jesus! You are sweet as honey!" he growled, as his load shot out into the air.

As Bingley calmed, he gazed down at his beloved Jane, where he witnessed her licking her own fingers clean. "You are not so bad yourself, Mr Bingley."

* * *

Elizabeth and Darcy managed to mount the horse, just as Jane and Bingley turned the curve of the lane. "That was close, Lizzy. Another couple of minutes and they would have caught us red handed."

"Red faced and with your hands full, to be more precise," she giggled.

"Oh I love you so much Mrs Darcy," he sighed, as he kissed her cheek from behind.

"And I do so love you very much, dear husband. To think we will have a lifetime of this, is bliss."

As the Darcys watched the other couple approach, Elizabeth noticed that both were rather flushed in the face. "They have been up to something, look at both of their faces, they look as we do," she chuckled.

"What has you both looking so pleased?" Darcy called out, as they witnessed both with broad smiles.

"Be the first to congratulate us," Bingley declared.

"You are getting married?"

"Yes dear sister, we are. Charles has proposed and I have accepted."

"I think this calls for a celebration, you got any good champagne Bingley? If not I am sure we can send for some decent stuff from Meryton."

"Yes, I still have some from that crate you gave me last year. Come, let's return to the house."

All the party took the slower pace back to the house, for neither Darcy or Elizabeth had enough strength to go above walking pace. Elizabeth also had to contend with the fabric within her body, something she was beginning to find rather sore, due to all the movement of the horse. "William, I am really sore."

"Take it out, we are at the rear and no one can see."

"As Elizabeth fidgeted in the saddle, she managed to pull the fabric out and handed it quickly to her husband.

"Lord! it is soaked," he growled, as he stuffed it into his coat pocket.

The rest of the day was filled with merriment, Jane had taken to the champagne quite willingly, however, Elizabeth remembered the amount of spirit she had drank on her wedding night and the pain she felt the next day, so she agreed with her husband that she would only have a little.

It was evening and the men had been drinking all day, even though the ladies stopped after the second glass. Both Elizabeth and Jane witnessed the men fall asleep in their chairs. Both having partaken in a drinking competition after having already consumed a bottle each. Darcy, however, had the upper hand of being of a more substantial build than his friend, so pipped him to the post for Bingley had blacked out ten minutes prior to the winning participant.

"Do you think we should leave them there?" Jane asked, as she made her way upstairs with her sister.

"They will sleep it off until morning, no doubt. Come, let us talk in my bedchambers, I want to know how he proposed." At this Jane blushed, _should I tell her the truth?_ she pondered.

As they settled down on the bed, Jane began to explain. "Lizzy, I have never felt as I did today. I thought I would never do such liberties before marriage, but it seemed so natural."

"Oh! What did he do to you?" she gasped, hoping that Mr Bingley had not taken her against a tree, as her husband had done that morning.

"Well… I was riding in front of him when he called out for me to stop. I thought something was wrong with his horse, but when I turned around in my saddle, I could see that he was rather agitated and his bulge was very pronounced," she blushed.

"Bulge? You mean his manhood was swollen!" Elizabeth laughed.

"Yes, if we had not had previous discussions, I would not have noticed it. That is not all… when he got down from his horse, he must have moved awkwardly, as the end of it poked out the sides of his front flap to his breeches. I could not take my eyes off of it, so odd looking. He finally came to stand in front of me and declared himself to me, that is when he asked me."

"He proposed with his manhood sticking out in the air?" Elizabeth laughed.

"Yes, I suppose he did," she giggled, "I didn't think of it like that, I will have to tease him on it once we are married."

"So, did he kiss you?"

"Yes, after he asked me to marry him, but that is not all, as we continued to kiss, my hand wandered down and I felt him," she said, as she looked down at her fumbling hands, with a degree of embarrassment.

Elizabeth did not think it capable of her sister to act in such a way, but had realised that she did not expect it of herself and her own behaviour was atrocious, compared to Jane's. "How did you like it, did you feel anything as you touched him."

"My nether regions… well… they ached.. and I… oh Lizzy, I did something really terrible," Jane cried, "I took his hand and thrust it into my breeches, how could I have done such a thing."

"God Jane, at least it was his hand. On the morning William proposed to me, I was also in my breeches, as I had told you before. However, what I neglected to mention was that he got down on his knees and worshipped me with his tongue."

"What? He kissed you… there!"

"Do not be so surprised, it was probably on Mr Bingley's mind. I am sure men want to do that to women. I am not sure if it is animal instinct, but William cannot get enough of me in that respect, he wants to gobble me up all the time," she laughed.

"Well he did suck on his fingers, as his seed bolted from his body. I taste like honey, _apparently_."

The sisters continued their talk for a while longer, but it was not long before both fell to sleep on top of the bedding.

It was getting light outside when Jane was stirred from her sleep. As she opened her eyes, she felt odd, as though she was still in a dream. _Where am I?_ she thought, but on hearing a low groan from her left, she realised that she was in the Darcy bedchambers. She had fallen to sleep next to her sister and during the night, Darcy had staggered up the stairs, disrobed himself of every stitch he had on and clambered on to the bed. There he lay, next to his wife, stark naked, with the exception of a small corner of the sheet across his hips. His leg was hooked over the top of hers and his arms were tight around her body and he had hold of her breast, where he was squeezing it gently. Elizabeth was still asleep, as well as her husband, but he was obviously having some sort of salacious dream and acting out his fantasy.

Jane did not know what to do. If she moved, either of the sleeping lovers would awaken, but she could not stay there either. Mr Darcy must have been so drunk that he did not notice her on the far side of the bed.

As Darcy groaned again, Elizabeth woke. The sisters eyes met and Jane's expression was one of panic. Elizabeth held her finger up to her lips to indicate to keep quiet and mouthed the word 'go.' Jane had little choice other than to leave the bed, as quickly as she could, in the hopes that her movements would not stir Darcy too much.

As she reached the door, she gazed back and saw his hand move down Elizabeth's body, his groans were now mumbled words. He had stirred to consciousness and Elizabeth had turned to face him. "Oh Lizzy, I love you so much," he groaned in a groggy state, "my cock loves you even more." Luckily, Jane did not hear the last part of his declaration, for she had already closed the door behind her.

As she retreated to her own bedchambers, she breathed out her relief at not having been caught in the corridor. She went back to bed and lay there, thinking of the fact that it would not be long, before she would be mistress of Netherfield Hall and wife to the best man she has ever known.


	14. Bingley and his Pebbles

**6th September 1811**

Jane only lay in bed for a further twenty minutes before she rose for the day, her stomach was objecting to its emptiness and she wished to break her fast early. After dressing with the assistance of one of the maids, she ventured downstairs, even though she knew she would be the only one to rise at such an hour.

As she reached the bottom step, she gazed into the parlour, where the door had been kept open and spotted Mr Bingley on the settee, still asleep from the night before. The maids were going about their duties, but in a hushed silence. She could hear the odd giggle coming from one or the other of the maids, making Jane smile. She could see the maids were not being malicious in their humour, but jovial, so did not think anything of their behaviour.

As there were occupants already in the room, she entered to see if she could awaken the him. "Mr Bingley… wake up," she soothed in his ear, as she knelt before him. All she got in response was a slight groan indicating his displeasure of being woken at an ungodly hour.

"Charles… why do you not wake for me?" Jane whispered in an angelic tone. This time, Mr Bingley stirred.

"What? Miss Bennet! Why are you here in my bedchambers?" he asked, still in a befuddled state.

Jane let out a giggle at his mumbling, "I am not, you are in the parlour, sir."

"Oh, am I?" he exclaimed, as he looked about the place. "I had a wonderful dream last night, we were out riding and I asked…" here he trailed off, not wishing to divulge the fact that he had proposed marriage to her in his dream.

"That was no dream, Charles, you proposed and I accepted," she smiled happily.

"But Jane! We… oh, did that really happen? And after?" Mr Bingley gasped at what else had taken place along the secluded country lane and at this thought, he reddened.

"Yes, it did," she whispered, so that only he could hear her words, "but it does not follow that your attentions were unwelcome."

Mr Bingley sat up in his seat, noticing the maids were about their business, he felt more at ease that he was not alone with his beloved. "So, you are well?" he asked cautiously, hoping for a confirmation that she was not offended by what had occurred between them the previous day.

"Yes I am very well, but I was put out slightly by you drinking yourself into oblivion with Mr Darcy, for I could not steal a goodnight kiss on my retirement," she said softly. "It would do you well not to even consider wagering Mr Darcy to a drinking competition after we are wed, for he will surely drink you under the table each and every time and that is something neither of us will want. Think of the enjoyment you could have with me, in our bedchambers, instead of collapsing into unconsciousness on the settee."

Mr Bingley knew she was right, after marriage he would be able to spend every night with her and why would he want to jeopardise that for a drinking game that he would never win. "Yes, I always end up in some sort of challenge with that man, shooting, drinking, I could give him a go at chess, but I know he will win hands down on that score also."

"Well, there is one thing he will not win, my heart, for you are already custodian of my love."

"Oh Jane, I love you so much." Seeing that there was only one maid in the room now and she was down on her knees cleaning out the grate, Mr Bingley quickly moved forward and placed a gentle kiss upon Jane's lips.

"You smell of liquor," she said, scrunching her nose up.

"Sorry, I probably stink to high heavens at the moment," he laughed, "I should go sort myself out, that is if I can get up off this settee, I am so stiff."

"I don't think you moved a muscle all night, for you were in the same position as when Lizzy and I left you."

"No, I must have woken up, my hessians are over there?" he said, pointing to his footwear on the other side of the room, by the full length windows. "What on earth are they doing there?" He had to think if he had woken during the night and then remembered. "I remember taking them off before going out to the veranda!"

Jane stood and walked over to the window. "No, do not go over there, I am not sure what I did out there." Jane, however, started to laugh when she saw what he had done. "Oh lord! What have I done?"

"Something so sweet, Charles, I feel the same way," she grinned.

Mr Bingley staggered to his feet and took the brief walk to the window. Peering out, he observed his masterpiece spread out along the flagstones, that formed the floor to the veranda. 'I love you Jane' had been written in pebbles, which he had obviously scavenged from the surrounding gardens.

He grinned a childlike smile and looked at Jane, "Well, it looks like I have declared my love to all, everyone in the house now knows. I suppose I will have to ask permission from your father this morning, before he finds out from another."

"Oh you do not need permission, I turned one and twenty a couple of months ago, you only need his blessing. Although, you would earn his respect if you were to ask for permission regardless, it will make father feel rather important."

After breakfast, everyone went outside to look at Mr Bingley's artwork. "You should get that mounted into a large frame, Bingley." Darcy stated.

"I would actually like to have it fixed into the ground, where it sits. Shame the house is not mine for I wouldn't hesitate. I could always buy the place, I do love it here and it is close to your family, Jane," Mr Bingley pondered aloud.

"Do not rush into any decisions, Charles, the frame will do well enough for now and if you do decide to purchase Netherfield, then we can think about relocating the stones back into their rightful place. For now, we could have the stones polished and mounted onto a wood plinth, then have it hang in our bedchambers once we are married."

"Our bedchambers?"

"Why ever not, Lizzy and Mr Darcy do not have separate rooms, do you not wish to share a bed together?"

After remembering the day before and their naughty antics, he grinned his agreement. "Mounted on wood, it is then."

* * *

 **9th September 1811**

By the end of the week, Mr Bingley was a firm favourite in the Longbourn household. Mrs Bennet relished in the fact that she had another daughter almost off of her hands and Mr Bennet was delighted to have such a man as a son-in-law and so close by too, for he would enjoy his company regularly.

The time had arrived for the Darcys to leave for London. They would also be travelling with the Gardiners, as the older couple had been persuaded to put off their journey home for a few days, so that they could once again enjoy the plushness of the Darcy carriage.

It was also agreed that Jane and Mary would travel to London the following week with Mr Bingley and stay at Darcy House, for Mr Bingley had matters of business to attend to and Jane had her own trousseaux to complete.

"Make sure you return this way on your way back to Pemberley sir, for it has been a pleasure to have you and my daughter here for the week." Mr Bennet stated.

"Yes, do come back, for it was such a delight to have you here. Lizzy, make sure you behave yourself!"

"Oh mama, I always behave." _Unless I am expected to be naughty in the bedchambers,_ she then thought.

After departing Gracechurch Street, where they delivered Mr and Mrs Gardiner safely home, the Darcy carriage arrived at the entrance to Darcy House. The master stepped out of the carriage first in order to assist his wife from the vehicle. "Lord! I thought it was a townhouse you owned, not a palace."

"It was not my choice, father bought it when I was ten, I inherited it. Now, come Mrs Darcy," he said, as he picked her up into his arms.

"William! What are you doing?"

"Carrying you over the threshold. I cannot let your feet touch the ground, for the evil spirits at the doorway will travel up your body from the soles of your feet."

"But, I am not virginal anymore," she laughed.

"Oh… does it matter?"

"It does to the evil spirits."

"I will carry on with my plan, I want to carry you to my cave, I mean my bed," he grinned.

"Oh! Are we being a rather virile Troglodyte?"

"Yes, and I will beat my chest with my fists in celebration, once I deposit you onto my bed."

The butler had already opened the door, as they reached the top step. "Evening sir… ma'am," he said graciously with a bow.

"Good evening, Gladstone. Can you have everyone gather in the morning in the parlour for formal introductions. It is too late now and we are both rather tired," he stated to the butler, whilst still holding his wife in his arms.

"Yes sir, around ten?"

"That will do just fine, after breakfast," he confirmed.

The master's bedchambers were not like its equivalent in Derbyshire. The brightness of the ruby red was replaced by a calm tranquillity that the blue tones and dark wood emitted. "This is a lovely room, William, very peaceful," she stated, as he placed her back down onto her feet.

"I had it redecorated last week, I assume you do not like the red of our rooms back home."

"It is not that I do not like them, they are just rather… bright."

"Well, they will not be when we return. I am taking advantage of us being away and when we return, it will be of a deeper shade, still red though, but more maroon than ruby."

"I do not mind what colour it is, for I only have eyes for you, my love."

"Would you care to test whether the bed is to your liking?" he smirked.

"I think that a very good idea."

* * *

 **10th September 1811**

It was eight o'clock when Elizabeth woke, she turned to find the bed void of its master. In his place was a small note, sat upon his pillow.

 _To My beautiful Lizzy,_

 _It was a struggle to rise before you woke, for I just wanted to hold you and watch you sleep in my arms. However, a master of his own estate cannot live in idleness for long and I had no choice other than to rise before you, to ensure that we can spend the rest of the day together._

 _I let you sleep, for I know that I was a beast last night and kept you awake far too late with my demands. I hope that you forgive me for my persistence._

 _Sophie travelled from Pemberley whilst we were at Netherfield, so she will be able to see to your needs this morning. Just pull the bell cord above your head and she will attend to you._

 _Hopefully, I will be done by the time you come down for breakfast. If not, then please alert Gladstone, the butler, and he will ensure you have what you require._

 _After breakfast, I wish to take you to Bond Street. The modiste has already been alerted to our intentions to visit and they have assured me that they will close the shop, so we will have the full attention of the staff._

 _I love you, my darling wife._

 _William_

 _Master of Pemberley_

 _and Besotted husband to Mrs Darcy_

—

Elizabeth had to smile at how he signed his note, yes he was besotted, but then so was she. She rose from the bed and put on her silk robe, before pulling the cord to summons her temporary maid.

"Morning ma'am, I hope you slept well?" Sophie asked, as she entered the room via the dressing room.

"Yes, thank you Sophie. I was not aware you would be here, do you travel often when the master is away?"

"No, I have not had any need to, although when Miss Darcy is travelling I sometimes accompany her, but not often."

"Oh of course, silly me," Elizabeth blushed, feeling like a ninny, "the master would not have any need for a lady's maid," she laughed. "What are you duties normally, are you Miss Darcy's personal maid?"

"Only when she is in residence at Pemberley and on the odd trip, but as Miss Darcy is away at boarding school, there has not been a need for me in that capacity. In those situations, I just revert back to a house maid."

"But that is a lower rank, surely you are not expected to do household duties when you are employed as a lady's maid and trained as such? You have worked elsewhere in the capacity as a lady's maid, I assume."

"Yes, I was employed as maid to Mr Darcy's aunt, Lady Matlock. She, however, wanted someone older and when Mr Darcy found out, he offered me the position to Miss Darcy.

"As she is away, it would not be sensible for the master to keep me on in such a capacity, so I do other duties to fill my day. It is either that or not be employed here, ma'am, I do not mind."

"Sophie, what would you say if I were to consider you as my personal maid? Mr Darcy has stated I need to employ someone to help me and you seem the obvious choice."

"Oh Mrs Darcy! That would be such an honour," she said with much happiness.

"I will of course have to ask Mr Darcy, but I am sure he will not have any issues with it, as you are already employed in a similar position. The only issue I can determine is when Miss Darcy finishes school, we will have to employ another maid for her. As she is not to return home on a permanent basis for at least another year, I do not anticipate it being a problem."

As Elizabeth relaxed in a hot bath, Darcy came into the bedchambers, "Lizzy, are you in here?" he asked.

"Yes, I am in the tub," she called out.

"Do you mind if I come in?" he asked, as he peered around the edge of the door.

"No, not at all William, come sit with me. I am almost done, so will not be too long."

"Sophie, you may leave us," Darcy said, but as she was about to leave Elizabeth stated the obvious in that her hair was full of soap and who would help her rinse it off. "I can help," Darcy offered.

"William, as much as I would appreciate that, I would rather have more water on my head than all over the floor, you will get your sleeves all wet if you attempted to play Abigail. Let the maid assist me, for she is more than capable in her job," she said, winking at Sophie.

"I saw that wink! What is going on?" Darcy asked, on noticing the conspiracy between the women.

"Nothing," Elizabeth cooed.

"No, come on. Lizzy, I know you are up to something."

"Well, I was not going to say, not in front of Sophie, but… could I have her as my personal maid on a permanent basis?"

"Oh, I did not expect you to ask that, but that will solve a problem of you not having a maid... Sophie, how do you feel about Mrs Darcy's request? It will mean more responsibilities than you had with Miss Darcy."

"I would love to, sir," she blushed.

"I will give you a trial, say three months. Myself and the mistress will make a final decision after that time has elapsed."

"Thank you sir," she said, as she poured the final rinse water over Elizabeth's head."

"Now you can leave us for the moment, Mrs Darcy will call you when she is ready to dress."

As the maid left, Darcy turned to his wife who was still sitting in the tub. "Sophie? What made you decide on her?"

"She was telling me about being Georgiana's maid and I was shocked to discover that when your sister is not at home, she reverts back to a house maid. William, she has too many skills to do such menial tasks. She has been trained to a high standard and I love the way she attends to me. Her attention to detail on the little things is very agreeable… Besides, I like the girl, she reminds me of Jane, very gentle and caring."

"She is very loyal also, she has on more than one occasion told Mrs Reynolds of bad behaviour amongst the lower staff."

"Such as?"

"Theft, one maid in particular was found stealing from the pantry and Sophie caught her with her hands full. The girl was fired by Mrs Reynolds and sent away with no reference."

"That is rather harsh."

"I cannot be seen as a soft touch when it comes to what I expect from the staff in my service. I could give them a second chance, but I feel that others will take advantage of my kindness and do the same, knowing that they will get another chance, if they get caught. They all know what I expect and what I will not tolerate."

"I suppose so, but does seem brutal."

"I pay them a good wage, more than most. They do not need to steal a ham from the pantry or the odd piece of cutlery. They do it to sell, so they get more money, money that they probably do not need because I pay above what they are entitled to receive in their post. Most have been provided with a roof over their heads and food in their bellies, so there is no excuse. That one particular girl did not have any family to provide for, so it was pure greed."

"I suppose so, we never had any issues like that back at Longbourn, but we only had Mr and Mrs Hill and Betsy, their daughter. They all lived in a small cottage behind the house and ate what we ate most of the time, they just made extra and ate in the kitchen."

"Your father allowed them to eat the same food as you?" Darcy asked, astonished at this revelation.

"Yes, he thought it easier for Mrs Hill to make one type of meal than two. We did not eat lavishly, other than father's weekly meat feast, which he is no longer allowed to have due to his gout, we ate quite humbly. Even so, I feel that a servant that is fed well is more healthy and will work harder."

"I suppose it is not of much consequence as you only had three staff. There are over one hundred at Pemberley, I could not feed them all venison every day, I would end up with no wildlife on the estate and no shot in my rifle," he laughed.

"I think I need to get out this tub, I am beginning to get rather wrinkled," Elizabeth stated, as she noticed her fingers beginning to pucker.

Darcy held out the bath sheet and wrapped it around his wife, "Can we not go back to bed?"

"No, don't forget I have to be introduced to all the staff at ten, your instructions."

"Fine," he sighed, "it was worth a try. I will just have to wait until tonight then," he added, as he slapped her bottom and went to ring the bell cord for Sophie to return. "I will leave you to get dressed in peace."

The walk to the modiste was only a short stroll to Bond Street. As they approached, Elizabeth saw a woman dash into the shop, "It looks like they had someone watching for our arrival," she chuckled.

"They will get enough money out of me today, I would not expect anything less."

"William, please do not be so excessive with the gowns, I really do not need so many. I already have a dozen from the modiste in Chesterfield."

"And you will get at least another three dozen from here. We are unlikely to come back until next year, darling."

"Do you expect me to wear the same garment twice," she laughed.

"Lizzy, I assume you will be throwing all your old dresses out, except your cream outfit," he smirked.

"I suppose so, although I would like to keep a couple of day gowns for when I am doing messy projects."

"Such as?"

"Painting… maybe?"

"Do you paint?"

"No, but who knows if I will take it up."

"Then, when that time comes we will get you some proper clothes for painting, throw everything out darling, start afresh."

"Very well, William, it is your money," she said, as she rolled her eyes.

"I saw that, Lizzy," he smiled, "you do realise as a wife of a very rich man, you will be spoilt beyond your imagination."

"Oh please do not spoil me so, remember I come from a humble background. I will feel the guilt of too much overindulgence. I know you said you wanted to give me the world, but I did not think you meant it literally."

As they walked into the establishment, the shop was a hive of activity. The couple were escorted to the back of the building, where a private parlour was situated. There, Darcy was able to take a seat whilst his wife was being attended to. "Mrs Darcy, I do not care for you to get anymore caps. You already have enough of those things at home."

"But they are all the fashion, now that I am married, I will be expected to wear one."

"I do not care for them, you may wear them when there is a need to, but not at home. I would rather see your beautiful hair," he smiled.

"Oh Mr Darcy, next you will be wanting me to wear it down all day."

"That is not such a bad idea, I cannot understand why women grow their hair, only to pin it up out of sight."

This gave Elizabeth an idea, she would purchase some hair ornaments and combs, so that she could let her hair down, with just the front fastened into place with the jewelled pieces.

As the modiste took Elizabeth's measurements, Darcy was given a catalogue to peruse. "Do you know what you are doing?"

"It may surprise you Mrs Darcy, but I have some insight into female fashion, even though I detest discussing it. I know what sleeves are in and what colours are not. Georgie always tells me in her letters and when she is at home, we usually go to Chesterfield to update her gowns, so this is not alien to me.

"Madame Bisset, do you make other garments apart from women's fashion?" Darcy asked.

"William, please," Elizabeth pleaded, knowing what he was about to ask the modiste.

"What sort of outfits do you mean, Mr Darcy."

"Oh breeches, waistcoats, undershirts for such, that sort of thing."

"We do not usually take such requests, but we could make something for you, if you wish."

"Oh it is not for me, but my wife." At this statement the woman gasped and Elizabeth wanted to hide herself away in the far corner of the room.

"Sir, we have never been asked to make men's clothing for a lady, do you wish for Mrs Darcy to wear these?"

"Yes, in the finest of fabrics of course."

"Well… My husband runs the tailor shop next door, we could make something for Mrs Darcy between us, if she wishes it so."

Darcy looked at Elizabeth, who was now deep crimson, "I suppose I can have a set or two made if it pleases my husband," she agreed, mortified at his blatant request.

Darcy's grin became wider, as she submitted to his whim. "Make a half dozen sets to begin with!" he stated forcefully.

Half of the day was spent in the shop, catering for every event. Ball gowns, day wear and his odd request was taken along with the usual undergarments and matching head wear, as the milliner was based on the upper floor to the building. Shoes were also ordered via a catalogue and Madame Bisset agreed to send the shoemaker some fabric, so that each pair matched the appropriate gown. However, Elizabeth would need to attend the cobbler, so that he could select the correct form.

As they left, Darcy wished to take tea. "Come, we will take a stroll down to Berkley Square and take refreshments at Gunter's Tea Shop."

"But we have drunk so much tea at the modiste, do you have any room left?"

"Lizzy, please indulge me, I want to show you off," he smiled, "this is more fun than putting an announcement in the London newspapers, it will be all over town by tomorrow morning, mark my words."

"I do believe you, remember we have gossips too at Meryton," she smirked.

All eyes were on the couple as they entered the tea rooms. The maître d'hôtel recognised Darcy and made his way over to where he stood, guiding him to one of the private tables in the corner of the room, which was reserved for the elite few. As they took their seats, the buzz of light talking was heard amongst the other patrons. Elizabeth felt her cheeks heat, as she realised they were discussing her presence with Mr Darcy. "I feel very self conscious, everyone is talking about us… well me."

"Good… let them, that is why I brought you here, sweetheart," he said with a louder than normal voice. "Mrs Darcy, please revel in this opportunity, they are admiring you, not thinking ill of you. Look around at the smiles, especially the men, I bet they are all jealous of me," he beamed.

"And the women want to get their claws into me, I think." As Elizabeth gazed around, she noticed a familiar face amongst the crowd. "Oh William! It is Miss Bingley."

Elizabeth was only able to mention her name and a shrill was heard across the other side of the room from the aforementioned. "Mr Darcy! How wonderful to see you here."

Darcy flinched at the harshness of the woman's voice. Turning towards her, he smiled with as much enthusiasm as he could muster. As she came closer, both Elizabeth and Darcy stood to greet the woman. "Miss Bingley, what a surprise to see you here, I thought you in Scarborough."

"No, I am staying with Louisa and Mr Hurst," she cooed, but eyed Elizabeth with curiosity. "Are you staying long in town? I would dearly love to have you dine with us one evening next week."

"Oh I do not know what we are doing. We may be leaving during the course of next week and returning to Pemberley."

"Oh, is dear Georgiana here with you? I thought she still at school. I would love to see her before you go."

"She is not with me, I meant myself and Mrs Darcy," he stated, trying to hold back his smirk.

To say that Miss Bingley was shocked, was to say that it lightly rained in a torrential thunderstorm. She remained quiet for a few moments, trying to comprehend what Mr Darcy had just said. "You are married?" she shrilled.

"It seems so, Miss Bingley," he smiled.

"But…. But, when? You were not married when I saw you last month, nor were you contemplating any such course in your life, if I remember rightly," she huffed.

"But I am now, Miss Bingley. Meet Mrs Elizabeth Darcy," Darcy said, as he turned towards Elizabeth.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mrs Darcy," Miss Bingley said in a brusque manner. "Why, I believe I recognise you from somewhere, but I cannot place where I have seen you," she puzzled. Elizabeth felt herself start to shake with nerves and sat back down. On seeing this, Miss Bingley unceremoniously pulled a chair from a nearby table and took a seat between the couple and in doing so invited herself to tea. "Ah, I do believe I met you at that squalid little assembly hall near where my brother has let that house. Meryton, I seem to remember. A very small place with little consequence, for it might as well not exist," she laughed. "So what is your name? Benjamin, Brady, Brown?"

"My name is Darcy, although my maiden name was Bennet, if that is what you mean," Elizabeth stated, with an air of annoyance. _How dare she act as she is, in front of all these people, has she no decorum! s_ he thought.

Darcy was not going to sit back and allow this harpy to embarrass his wife. "Miss Bingley, Hertfordshire is a very fine place, there is much beauty to be had there and it holds several distinguished gentle families. I, myself, am thinking of buying a house there and selling my property in Grosvenor Square."

"But you cannot, you need your house in town!" she exclaimed.

"Why? I will only require it for the next few years, until my sister is settled with a husband. After which, we will no longer need a permanent residence in town. We will live on the outskirts of town, when we are in the south east and will travel into town when needed, although the odd stay at one of the Mayfair hotels may prove beneficial. The air in these parts is beginning to prove intolerable."

"My brother will end up buying a townhouse, I am sure he will not stay at Netherfield for long."

"I do not think he will, I heard him mention that he may wish to approach the owners of Netherfield Hall, in order to buy it from them."

"What!" Miss Bingley screeched, "My brother would never buy that place, such a run down estate, there is nothing to keep him from returning to London."

"On the contrary… Miss Bingley, may I ask when was the last time you corresponded with your brother?" Darcy asked.

"I have not written to him, nor he written to me since the week after I left for London, Why?"

"Because, Miss Bingley, your brother is betrothed to my wife's sister. They are due to wed before the month is out."

The blood drained from Miss Bingley's face, she stood up, threw down her napkin onto the table. "I have never heard such ludicrous ideas in all my life, he is not to marry that country bumpkin!"

"No he is not," Elizabeth stated, "He is marrying my sister and you can ask him next week if you do not believe me, for he will be staying with us along with my sisters, Jane and Mary, for a full week." With that Darcy could not help but laugh and Miss Bingley could do nothing other than remove herself from the table, and hence storm out of the tearooms in anger.

"Oh William, do you think she is mad with us?" Elizabeth said, in such a sweet innocent manner.

"I think she may well be, Mrs Darcy. Now, shall we order some cake?"

* * *

 **11th September 1811**

"Lizzy, What on earth is the matter?" Darcy asked as he rushed out of his study to where his wife was in the vestibule. After taking Elizabeth's bonnet and spencer, Sophie took the garments upstairs.

"I saw….. I saw…Richard!" she spluttered out

"What! Where was this?" Darcy growled, as he pulled his wife into the shelter of his study.

"Sophie and I were in the park, we were taking a stroll after having been to the purchase some items. On our way back I saw him in the distance, near the duck pond."

"Did he approach you?"

"Yes, but he was with someone, who said he was an acquaintance of yours. An odd looking man, wore only white and had long dark hair and the most green eyes I have ever seen. Richard introduced me as his cousin."

"Well you are by default, when you married me, that I can only apologise for. The gentleman with Richard sounds like Cecil," Darcy sighed. "He is a very honourable gentleman, I assume Richard probably accosted him on the way to somewhere, no doubt asking for an invite to something. So what did Richard say."

"After the other gentleman took his leave, Richard was rather calm and apologised for his actions. He did not realise who I was and said he should not have acted like that, even if I were one of your mistresses. He said he should have known I was not, as you did take them to Pemberley, but on rare occasions when Georgiana was at school. He mentioned that he usually encountered them at your town house." Here, she started to sob, "William, did you entertain them in our bed?"

"No! Good grief, I did not wish for them in my personal rooms. They were here some times when I was in town alone, but nothing happened in the family wing. Why does that idiot always open his mouth and say the wrong things."

"Do you think he is trying to create a drift between us? He also said that there was some news you would need to know about, but he did not divulge anything to me, it was though he was gloating."

"Try to ignore him, he has done that since we were children. A example was that he told me once that mother wanted to chastise me over something I had done… or not done, and when I did see her she was all love and affection.

"If you see him again, walk away in the opposite direction and come home, make sure you always have Sophie with you, or one of the footmen if she is not able to attend at that time."

"I am glad she was there, I will try and remove myself from any future situations, if they occur."

* * *

 **14th September 1811**

"Can we go to The Temple in Finsbury Square? I have heard it is one of the better bookshops in town." Elizabeth asked a few days later.

"It will be better we go to Hatchard's of Piccadilly, for The Temple is renowned for cheaper books and I know that people will talk if we were to be seen in that business."

"Mr Darcy! Would you allow your pride to overrule the logic of buying the same book, only cheaper?"

"They are not the same, the binding is far more inferior," Darcy stated, although he did not know that to be the case, as he had never purchased from that establishment, but he had hazard a guess.

"Darling, a book is a book, if I can read it then that is all I need."

"But you are to build your library on the second floor, not just buy a book to read and push aside. We have to have volumes that look pleasant on the shelf, for they will sit there for decades, if not generations to come. No we shall go to Hatchard's."

Elizabeth giggled at his logic, but accepted it for who was she to disagree, it was his money after all. As they entered the shop, Darcy made a direct path for the back, Elizabeth followed as she knew he had visited that store on numerous occasions and knew where each subject matter would be kept. "These are the latest novels, Elizabeth, do not be thrifty on your choices, I do not mind what you spend."

She smiled at his generosity, which puzzled him, "Would you feel angry if I were to buy the whole shop?" Smiling back at her, he said that he would give her the world, but doubt that it would fit into the carriage.

Just as Elizabeth was to say that they needed a bigger carriage, the couple heard voices coming from the other side of the bookshelf. Darcy moved a book aside and was able to peer through the casing to the next isle, where he witnessed two ladies talking about Viscount Hamilton, this piqued his curiosity.

"Yes, Connie, apparently she is with child, he has only been with her a few months, from what I can gather, and she apparently is quite far along. There is rumour that it may not be his and the father is her former lover. Mrs Kettering saw them out last week and she said the woman looks like she is at least eight months along and fit to drop.

Darcy could not believe what he had just heard. He froze on the spot, his heart was pounding in his chest and he could hear the blood rushing through his ears. As he listened to the tittle tattles discussing the viscount's predicament, all he could think of was how this was going to affect Elizabeth. _This must be a dream_ _… No! A nightmare? This cannot be real. Shit! What am I to do? This will kill Elizabeth, Rose is having a child! My child!_


	15. Darcy's Nightmare

**14th September 1811**

"What is the matter William?" Elizabeth asked on seeing her husband's mood change so dramatically.

"They are talking about Viscount Hamilton and his mistress, I know the viscount."

"Yes I heard, such a shame for someone to be in such a position," was all Elizabeth said on the matter.

Darcy realised that she did not connect the viscount with himself via the mistress in question. He knew he had to calm his nerves quickly, before she did not start to suspect the worst. There was not much he could do in the middle of a bookshop on a Wednesday morning, but knew he had to approach the viscount on the matter and the sooner it was done the better.

"I think these will do for now, William, is ten books too many? Do you think they will fit in the carriage?" she laughed.

"What? Oh… yes, they will do for now, Elizabeth. We can always come back next week," he said with as much enthusiasm as a man could give, considering he had just been struck by such a tribulation.

Whilst riding the short distance of less than a mile home, Darcy was deep in thought of what he had learnt. Elizabeth noticed he was still not himself, the quietness was a total contrast to his earlier happy temperament.

"Are you not well, dear?" Elizabeth finally asked, as they approached the house.

"It is nothing, sweetheart. I just have a slight headache, that is all," he said, hoping his reason would be believable and settle her curiosity.

"You do look rather pale, maybe I should call for the doctor, you may be coming down with something," she said, as she put the back of her hand against his brow. "You do not seem hot, maybe just a rest will do you good."

Rest was the last thing on his mind, but at least if he was to rest in the quietness, he could think through what had occurred and more importantly, what he was going to do about it.

As they entered the vestibule to their home, Darcy took his leave and went straight up the stairs and into his bedchambers, where he could shut the door and all the world out of his existence, even if it was only for a short while.

As the door slammed shut, he leaned his back against it and slid down the wooden panelling and onto the floor, where he succumb to his emotions. _How the hell did my life get to this? I finally find my soul mate after years of searching and within weeks_ _… this happens! I cannot tell Elizabeth, it would hurt her too much… If she knew, would she forgive me? Could we get through this or would it break us apart? Would she walk away from me, dear god, do not let this happen to me!_

Darcy's thoughts were a gallimaufry of chaos. He did not know what he was thinking, as all thoughts were playing out in his mind at once. "Stop!" he gasped, as his hands flew up to his head, as he rocked himself back and forth on the floor, but they would not stop.

Eyeing the decanter of brandy on the dresser, he took the vessel from its place and poured the liquor down his gullet, hoping that he could burn the visions from his mind. He felt as if he was being suffocated, his chest was tight and his breathing restricted.

As he tore off his cravat and undone his waistcoat, he could sense the drink taking effect. His fingers were not able to unfasten the remainder of the buttons on his shirt, so he ripped the garment from his body and fell onto the bed. As he looked up into the canopy, the world around him was spinning, he knew his world was such, spinning out of control and into the darkness he did not wish to go. As he struggled to keep control of his faculties, darkness crept in and he fell into a drunken stupor, shortly followed by unconsciousness.

As the evening approached, Darcy had still not come down to dinner. Elizabeth was concerned and made her way to his chambers to ensure he was well and to ease her own worries. When she entered, she saw her half dressed husband, now awake and anxiously pacing the room.

"William, what is the matter, are you still in pain?"

"No, I am well enough," he slurred, as he continued to pace the room.

"Well, something is the matter, you are not acting yourself and I am beginning to get worried," she stated, but then she got the scent of stale brandy and noticed the empty decanter on the floor.

"Lizzy, please… I just need some time alone, to think things through," he begged, as he sat down on the edge of the bed and planted his head into his hands.

"No, I will not leave you alone," she stated. She had never seen him like this before, in their short existence together and it worried her so. "My vows will not allow it, remember 'for better for worse' and I can see you are worse for wear at this moment in time."

"Your vows also said to obey me, please Elizabeth, I cannot discuss this now, I need some time alone," he snapped, as he was unable to control his emotions and he panicked over her seeing him sink to his lowest point.

Elizabeth stood there, frozen. It was the first time that he had demanded something from her that she did not wish to do. However, she could see he was not in the mood to continue the conversation, so she kissed him on the forehead and bid him goodnight. "I will sleep in my own bedchambers tonight, as you do not wish for my company," she said with little emotion as she left the room.

Darcy's heart sank, when he heard her words. He did not wish to be parted from her, however, he knew it was the only decent thing to do, being in such a foul mood himself.

* * *

It was midnight and he could hear his wife's movements in her rooms. He wished to go to her and beg forgiveness for his abruptness earlier, but as his mind was still in disarray, he knew that it was not the right time to beg her to give him clemency.

As he lay there, staring at the canopy to his bed, his thoughts were again on the idea that he could well become a father in less than two months. He was under the impression that Rose was barren, although it had not been confirmed by a physician, it was an understanding from previous lovers, that she had not had issue in the many years she had laid with a variety of men. Darcy realised that although he used a sheath, it had not always proven efficient and on several occasions he had leaked out of the darn thing.

Rose had taken up with the viscount within a week of their agreement ending at the end of March, so there was little time between bedding the two men and it could be unlikely that even _she_ would be able to decipher who the father was. It was now September, six months later and one of the gossips had indicated that she looked eight months gone. If indeed she was eight months into her term, then it would be that the baby was his.

His thoughts turned to his cousin, who had taken liberties with Rose, but then remembered that Richard had been overseas from late the previous year until May, so it could not be his.

He realised that the situation could be that the only way to decipher who the father was, was by the likeness of the child. Luckily, the viscount had a full head of copper red hair and Darcy's locks were almost black. Would it be a case of wait for the child to be born and go by its colourings? That would mean that he would be plagued with guilt for at least a few more weeks. A torture he could not bear, and that torture would affect his marriage, for if he was to continue in such a mood, he would have to tell his wife everything. _Do I tell Lizzy?_ he thought _. She has already asked if I had any children and I said no, what if that is now not the case? Would she accept the child? Should I accept the child?_

It had gone three in the morning and Darcy was still awake, he wished that Elizabeth was beside him, to take comfort in her warmth. It had been stupid of him to act as he did on their retirement, sending her off with a flee in her ear, for she had done nothing but paid particular attentions to him and cared for his wellbeing.

He made a snap decision and rose from the bed and wandered through the shared sitting room and into her bedchambers. As he removed his nightshirt, he got into her bed and snuggled up against her back, wrapping his arms about her person and holding her tight to his body, he did not wish to let go of her as he felt his life depended on her bodily contact.

Elizabeth stirred and she turned towards him, but did not say a word. Darcy took this as an invitation to show his affection, kissing her tenderly at first and as his passion deepened his eagerness grew. He did not apologise for his abruptness, or did he give any explanation as to why he acted as he did, he just wanted to reconnect with her once more.

Their love making was almost in silence, other than the sounds of their laborious breathing and groans. Darcy did not notice this, but to Elizabeth it felt odd, alien even, as they had always declared their love to each other, but nothing had been spoken from his lips. Did he still love her? Why had he been so distant? Why was he not whispering words of love into her ear, as he always did?

As Darcy felt himself begin to build, he clenched his wife's head between his hands and gazed into her eyes as he continued to move within her. She felt the significance of this greatly, for it spoke more than his words of love. The emotions that they portrayed were not weak, they showed a man desperate for love, but also scared of loss. Did he think he was losing her? Was he remorseful of what he had done? It seemed as though he was.

As he reached his climax, he shuddered. His towering body above her, collapsed to her side, where he quickly rolled off of her and pulled her back into his embrace. As she drifted off to sleep, Darcy removed himself from her bed, only to return to his own bedchambers to continue his self absorbed torture.

Sleep did not come at all to Darcy that night, for he lay awake until the birdsong was heard outside of his window. He rose and readied himself for the day ahead. He had concluded during his many hours of laying awake in contemplation, that he would write a note to Viscount Hamilton, asking for an interview with him. He needed to find out, once and for all, what the truth was. If the truth was able to be forthcoming, that is.

* * *

As he entered the breakfast room, Elizabeth was already sitting at the table. She did not look up to greet him, but Darcy could see that her eyes were red from many shed tears. He sat next to her and took her hand in his, "Lizzy… please," he begged.

"Please what? You bar me from your bedchambers, only to trespass on me in the middle of the night and remove yourself from my side again, once I was asleep. This only leaves me to wonder if I have done something wrong," she whispered, her voice shaking as she spoke, proving that she was on the edge of losing control of her emotions.

"No, you have done nothing wrong. Do not upset yourself, it would not do us any good for both of us to be out of sorts."

"I am out of sorts, because you have pushed me aside. You have refused me knowledge of your true feelings and I know that something is wrong, it has been since we heard those women in the bookshop," she said, but stopped when she saw her husband physically flinch. "Has it to do with what those women were talking about? The mistress who is with child," she said as she started to panic. "William, is that woman your previous lover?"

She commanded to know the answer, she deserved the truth, but all that Darcy could do was close his eyes, hoping that it would all go away in a flash. The pain on his face, proved that he thought this to be the case, for he would not react to her question, if it was nonsense.

After a few moments, he sat back and took a deep breath, "Rose took up with the viscount a week after we finished our arrangement. That was in March, six months ago, the woman in the shop stated that she looked eight months into her term." Darcy saw his wife's hand fly up to her mouth, trying to stifle the cries that she let out. "Darling, please, I did not know. I have had no communication from either of them and I do not understand why this has not happened. I have already made a decision to write to the viscount this morning, hoping that I will be granted an audience with him this afternoon. I need to get this resolved as soon as possible, and if it is indeed my child, I will have to act accordingly."

"You do not wish to keep the baby at Pemberley? Do you wish for me to move out, so that Rose can take my place?" she sobbed.

"Heaven's forbid! No! What are you saying? Although it may be my child, it will be illegitimate and will have no claim on the inheritance or my affections. I have already told you that I do not love Rose, never have… _I love you_. Do you hear me?

"I will not taint our life with such an issue, he or she will stay with its mother and I will send an allowance each month, until the child reaches the age of majority," he paused, as he tried to calm his wife. "Darling, it has not been proven that the baby is mine, it maybe that she is only four or five months along and therefore the viscount's child. That may be the reason why neither he or Rose have contacted me."

"What about Richard, he said he also had dealings with her?" Elizabeth asked.

"I thought about that, but Richard was on a campaign and out of the country from last December through to early May, so it would not have been his."

Elizabeth started to sob, Darcy's heart was breaking, he knew it would have a terrible effect on his wife, for what woman would wish for her husband to father a child by another woman, even if it had occurred before they were wed. "Darling, please, this is why I tried to keep it from you. There is nothing you or I can do at this moment in time. It is a waiting game until I can have the private interview with Viscount Hamilton."

"Oh William, Richard said that there was some news you needed to know, do you think he meant this?"

"Oh, I didn't think about that, maybe. He tends to know what is going on before anyone else, what with his pals down at the club. It is typical of him to give hints and not tell me outright, he takes delight in knowing something I do not, but likes dropping the odd hint to wind me up. Just as he is with you and my previous arrangements."

After a meagre attempt at eating breakfast, the letter was penned and sent by messenger, as the viscount only lived a half a mile away. The boy waited for a reply and within an hour, Darcy had been given a note to confirm that the gentleman would not be able to see him that day, but an interview the following day was arranged.

"Lizzy, I will be going to see Viscount Hamilton at two, tomorrow afternoon. I should not be more than an hour or so. If I need to discuss matters further, I will return the following day, as I do not wish to leave you for long."

"I am coming with you!" she stated firmly.

"But… darling, it will not be right for you to attend. It will be distressing for you."

"I want to come with you, I cannot sit here, whilst you are there imagining your discussions."

"Very well, if it is your wish, then you may attend, but we will be discussing a subject which you will not find comfortable."

Darcy stood and went to leave the room. He was still in an awful mood and could not bear to witness his wife's shattered demeanour. "Where are you going?" she asked, seeing his imminent abandonment of her.

"I thought you would not wish for my company, I am still not in the best of moods, Lizzy."

"No, do not go, stay," she begged, as she held out her hands to him.

Darcy sat back down and held her in his arms, "I'm sorry, Lizzy. I do not deserve your attentions, but you deserve mine," he stated, as his hold of her had started to melt some of the tortures from his thoughts. "Will you come to me tonight?"

"Yes, if you wish… Do you realise that last night was the first night you pushed me away, even during my courses you still wished for me to be in your bed," Elizabeth calmly said.

"I know, and I hate myself for it. You must know that I crave your touch, darling and last night was no different. I know I hurt you by refusing you, but I was too engrossed in my morbid thoughts. As I lay there, I realised I could bear it no longer, being away from you, so had to come seek you out in the early hours, just to ensure we were fine.

"What I did was inexcusable." Darcy buried his head into his wife shoulder, where silent sobs were felt. His life was in such a disturbance to his usual easy path, that Darcy did not know how to deal with how he was feeling.

"We will know one way or another, by tomorrow afternoon, so you will not feel like this for long," Elizabeth soothed, pushing aside her own feelings on the matter.

* * *

 **16th September 1811**

Morning did not come around quick enough for the couple. Between getting up and pacing the room and turning continuously throughout the night, Darcy had little sleep.

As he sat at the foot of the bed, he watched his wife finally succumb to sleep. She had fallen into slumber at daybreak, when Darcy decided enough was enough and rose for the day. As he gazed upon her relaxed body, he remembered the nights he had done the same from the chair in the corner of the cream rooms. _It feels like a lifetime ago, how can it only be a matter of weeks, since I longed for what I could not have. Now look at us, I have ruined everything,_ he reflected in anger at himself, _how can she look at me in the same way, after all this?_

Darcy had to do something to occupy his mind, it was now eight in the morning and he had been sitting, watching Elizabeth for nearly two hours. As she was still asleep, he went down to the breakfast room and managed to eat some toast and preserves. After drinking his third cup of coffee, he decided that he would go to the bookshop and purchase some items for Elizabeth's personal library. Poetry and Shakespeare he thought would be the best options, as he knew that most ladies were partial to Byron. Darcy found the Lyrical Ballads amongst the other books in the poetry section, so decided to purchase that along with the whole collection of Shakespeare's plays, Robinson Crusoe and Moll Flanders.

The shop also had an assortment of sheet music and Darcy purchased several new pieces that he knew he did not possess back at Pemberley.

As he returned home, his mind wandered to the imminent meeting with the peer that afternoon. He was nervous at the thought of discovering the truth, for as of that moment it was only an assumption, a very real assumption, but there was also a small amount of doubt that he was able to cling onto. Once he knew for certain, there was no going back. He did not wish for Elizabeth to be there, but she was forceful in her wants and he could not let her sit in ignorance for even a few seconds, when he knew the facts himself. She needed to know straight away and the only way that would happen was if she was with him.

He could hear the piano in the parlour being played as he entered the vestibule, the tune was not known to him. As he listened before entering, he could tell it was a melancholy piece, a sound that described both their moods, for the past day. "What is that piece called, that you are playing?" Darcy asked, as he entered the parlour.

Elizabeth stopped to answer his question, "I do not know, it sort of just flowed out of my head and down to my fingers," was all she could say.

"It is very beautiful, but so sad, Lizzy," he stated, as he came to her side and sat down beside her, where she rested her head against his shoulder.

"Do you think there is a chance that the ladies in the shop were mistaken?"

"That is a possibility, we will not know for another three hours," he said as he took his fob watch from out of his waistcoat and looked at the time. Elizabeth spotted the locket that was also in the same pocket and she pulled it from the confines of the fabric. Holding it tight, she rubbed the surface of the glass, hoping that the small flowers would bring her some sort of luck.

They stood outside the house of Viscount Hamilton. If Elizabeth thought Darcy house a palace, then this building in front of her was the English equivalent to Versailles. As they approached, the butler opened the door. "I have an appointment with Viscount Hamilton," Darcy stated firmly, as he handed over his calling card, which had Elizabeth's name written by hand under his.

They were escorted into one of the parlours, where Elizabeth was witness to a well dressed middle aged man, but what she did not anticipate, was the woman beside him. Her eyes wandered the length of her body and she could not mistake the rather swollen belly that she was embracing with her hands. "No!" she gasped. Not wishing to stay in such close proximity to the woman, she fled the room and stormed out of the house.

Darcy could not catch her hand, before she left his vicinity. He had no option than to run after her and made his quick excuses to the viscount, stating he would return.

As he got to the bottom step of the entrance to the house, he saw Elizabeth across the road and about to run into the small park that formed part of the square. "Lizzy! Stop!" he shouted, as he ran after her.

On hearing his call Elizabeth stopped, but as she did, her legs gave away and she sank to the ground. Darcy picked her up in his arms and carried her to a nearby seat, where he sat her down. "No! Do not cry. Lizzy look at me," he commanded.

As Elizabeth looked up, she noticed her husband had more than a smile on his face, for he was positively beaming. Not expecting this, she could not help her anger, "What is so amusing, sir? Are you finding my distress appealing? Do you delight in my sadness? Or is it the thought of having an heir to take over your empire filling you with joy."

"Lizzy, stop this at once!" he commanded.

"Stop what? My reaction at having met your old mistress and your unborn child she is about to deliver."

"Lizzy, listen to me! That was not Rose!" he shouted louder than he wished.

"Not Rose?" came a quiet quizzical voice.

"No, I do not know who she is, but assume that is the woman those gossips were discussing earlier in the week. Come, dry your eyes for we need to go back and find out what the situation is."


	16. The Viscount and the Actress

Dream Sequence in italics.

* * *

As the Darcys re-entered the house, the viscount had a look of concern upon his face. "Are you ill, Mrs Darcy? I think you may be in need of some tea," he stated, as he instructed one of the servants to have refreshments prepared.

"She is well, Freddie. It has been a very stressing couple of days and the situation, when we walked into the room, was not anticipated. I thought, or hoped you would be alone," Darcy stated, as they took a seat. "I better explain myself, if I may."

The viscount nodded his interest in hearing what Darcy had to say. "We were in Hatchard's earlier in the week and overheard a couple of women talking about your impending fatherhood, but they stated that the baby was almost due. I know I should not have listened to idol gossips, but my thoughts immediately turned to a certain person we both have in common, and well… you can imagine the rest."

"I am sorry that you and Mrs Darcy have been upset by such tales. I suppose you thought that it was Rose whom was with child and the baby yours?" The viscount stated simply.

Darcy flinched at her name and tightened his hold of Elizabeth's hand, hoping to gain some comfort from her touch. He agreed that the viscount had come to the correct conclusion and continued with his explanation. "When I heard that she was almost due, I realised that the last time I had seen her was the middle of March and knew that if the gossips were to be believed, then the baby would have been mine. But, I do not understand…" Darcy stated in puzzlement, as he looked at the woman beside the peer.

"I think it is my turn to explain. But first, may I introduce you to my wife, Lady Felicity Hamilton."

Darcy was shocked to hear that the viscount was married, for it had not been mentioned in the announcement section of the papers, nor had it been discussed within the throng of the elite. "But how? Why doesn't anyone know about your marriage?"

"There is a reason behind its privacy. I met Lady Hamilton, she was then Felicity Graystoke, about five years ago. She was working at the Theatre Royal as an actress, where I religiously attended each evening to see her perform for about a month. I grew infatuated with the lady and on one particular night, decided to pluck up the courage to ask for an interview after the curtain had dropped. She agreed, as she had also noticed me amongst the crowds and was intrigued by my constant presence.

"One thing led to another and she soon became 'my firm favourite' and our love blossomed shortly afterwards. She wished a desire to continue her acting, which I allowed, even though I was able to keep her from having to work. However, she gave up the stage two years ago, when the theatre burnt down again.

"For four years we met regularly and during that time she became heavy with child, twice. However, things did not go well and she lost both babies. Even though we were not wed, the loss of such was still heartbreaking, I would not wish that on anyone," he stated as he soothed his wife, who was beginning to get sensitive to his words. "I am sorry, Felicity, I will try and be quick on the subject."

"I finally plucked up the courage to ask her to marry me last year, but as she was working class, father would have had a heart attack at the news. His health is already on the decline and it is unlikely that he will live the year out, so we decided to keep it secret until it was safe to announce our alliance. Therefore, Felicity carried on the pretence of being my mistress.

"Then earlier this year, she told me that she was with child again. I was elated to say the least, this would be the heir, the next Duke after myself, if it turned out to be a boy. Well, the doctor insisted that she take bed rest, due to her previous loses and with that, I decided that I would not traverse into her bedchambers at night, just in case my actions could cause harm.

"Lady Hamilton knew that I could not cope for near on nine months without laying with a woman, so she suggested and agreed that I keep a mistress. I did not wish to, but knew that she was right in her assumptions and as I said, I could not seek comfort from her. Luckily, you had just finished with Rose and I sought her out immediately.

"She and I started an arrangement within the week and I took her out a couple of times at the beginning, but it was difficult to conceal two mistresses from idol gossips and as Felicity is my priority, Rose had to take a more sedate role. I told her that I would set her up in a small house and I would visit her there, but that there would be no outings and that she was not to come to my house, under any circumstances, as Felicity had already taken up residence within the guest wing. It was fine for a few months, but last month Rose started making demands and I just had enough of it, so ended the agreement a fortnight ago."

"So Rose is not pregnant?" Elizabeth asked, just to be sure she had heard correctly.

"No Mrs Darcy, she is not. Last time I was with her in August, her belly was flat as a pancake," the viscount confirmed.

Elizabeth let out a heavy sigh, "I am sorry for my behaviour earlier, but you can imagine what I thought. I believed Lady Hamilton was Rose, sitting there in full bloom, please forgive me."

"Do not fret so Mrs Darcy," the lady soothed, "I can appreciate how you must have felt, I would probably feel the same under the same circumstances."

"Freddie, do you have anything stronger than tea?" Darcy asked.

"Brandy? Or I have port."

"Brandy please, and I think Elizabeth could take a small one also for medicinal purposes, if you do not mind," he stated, as he saw his wife's hands trembling. "Elizabeth, you are shaking, you need to calm yourself, everything is fine now."

"I know, but it could have easily not have been."

"I have to disagree with you there Mrs Darcy, Rose cannot have children. I made her see a physician when I took up with her, to ensure she was not diseased. Do not look shocked Darcy, it is something I have always done, even Felicity had to go through the ordeal of being examined by Dr Clark.

"After the doctor saw Rose, he stated she was barren due to a defect since birth, so there is no possibility of her bearing a child. This little bit of news has made her very much in demand amongst the ton, and she knows it. Her demands started to grow and, well… I didn't wish for all the hassle, not whilst Felicity was getting close to the baby coming, so she was sent on her way and is now onto the next fellow, I would imagine."

Darcy started to calm, but he could tell that his wife was still in discomfort, even the brandy had not numbed her disquiet. He knew that she still had all the past two days events playing in her mind and being in that room was not helping her one jot. "I think it is time to take our leave, Elizabeth?" Darcy stated, "I thank you again for being so hospitable. Lady Hamilton, Viscount," he added, as he bowed to both the peer and his wife.

As they left the house and walked across to the square, Darcy wished to stop at the seats, where they had sat earlier. "Darling, I am so sorry for how I have treated you these past two days. Now that my head is beginning to clear somewhat, I recognise that I acted abysmally."

"Please, can we just forget everything and go home."

"No I cannot forget it, for I treated you terribly. I pushed you away when you only wanted to comfort and care for me. I came to you when you slept, when I wished for comfort and you obliged me with your tenderness, even though you were upset with me for my behaviour, that comfort I did not deserve. I will make it up to you, I promise."

"If you are to promise me anything, let it be that you will never withhold anything from me again. I do not care if it will hurt and upset me, seeing you on the pathway to almost self destruction in such a short time was more painful in my eyes, than anything you could have said. To witness you plummet in such a way and not know the reason behind it, made me feel useless, a wife should not feel like that, she should be able to share any burden her husband may have and comfort him when it is necessary to do so."

"I do not deserve you, my sweet, sweet Lizzy," he said, as tears threatened to spill.

"Yes you do, for you are such a good man. Just a man slightly misguided in what he thinks is right for his wife, I am stronger than you think, I will not break… Now, shall we go home?"

Darcy wished for nothing more than to take her home and make love to her. However, on their return to Grosvenor Square, they passed by a park and Elizabeth wished to take a short stroll through the grounds. As they approached the duck pond, they spied a mother duck drifting across the water, followed by her four fluffy chicks. "Oh isn't that sweet," Elizabeth smiled, "why do we not have ducks on the lake back home?"

"I do not know, we used to have them, but father never replaced them after they left or died. They do tend to fly off during winter and there is no guarantee they will come back. I never thought about replacing them," he stated, not wishing to tell Elizabeth that a few ended up on their dinner table, when the hunt did not go as well as expected.

"What is there to not like about your lake," she smiled, remembering their boat outing and subsequent accident. "Do you think when we return to Pemberley, you could take me out on the water again? Maybe at night, when no one is around?"

"Elizabeth Darcy! What do you mean by that?" he smirked.

"Well… have you never wondered what it would be like to make love in the open air? On the water?"

"We will probably fall in again, what with all the movement of the boat," he laughed.

"We could be careful? It was only that you lent over the side of the boat too far and fell in, plus I believe you were rather pre-occupied gazing at me and not paying attention to what you were doing."

"And do you think the promise of a salacious rendezvous in the middle of the lake will make me pay more attention to the rowing?"

"Probably not," she giggled," but just keep it in mind."

"Oh, it is such a delight to see you happy. I did wonder if things had not turned out as they did, I would ever hear such a delightful sound again."

"We would have got through it, if it had turned out to be Rose," she said with a degree of sensibility, "nothing will change the way I feel about you."

Darcy looked around and on seeing nobody in sight, he took his wife into his arms and kissed her most arduously. "Let us go home, darling."

* * *

As Darcy opened his eyes, he viewed the canopy above him, the same canopy that he had gazed upon the previous two days with such affliction. What a total contrast to the sensations that he was feeling at that moment, for his wife had buried herself deep under the covers and was paying particular attention to his manhood. "Yes, that's it, sweetheart," he lovingly encouraged, as he felt her velvet tongue run down the length of his hardened shaft and groaned his pleasure on hearing the satisfying pop of her lips, as she got to its weeping tip.

He felt her hands move from their place upon his hips to his torso, where she fondled his proud nipples, making them harden further. He grabbed her hands and pulled her up the length of his body, "Sit on me, Lizzy, I want to be inside of you and watch you ride me." He loved it when she took control, for he could just lay there, watch and absorb the exquisite titillations, until he was saturated with desire. Now at breaking point, he turned over and pinned her beneath him. Her willingness to surrender to his frenzy was delectable and he knew she would submit to anything he desired, and at that point he wanted nothing more than to pound himself into her and feel the slap of skin between them.

The lovers did not untangle themselves as they lulled in the afterglow of their coition. Elizabeth would not let go of her husband and kept her legs tightly locked around his middle and so not allowing him to remove himself from deep inside of her.

"Do you ever think we will grow tired of each other?" Elizabeth asked.

Darcy's head sprung up from its resting place in the crook of her neck, his hand still firmly on her soft bosom. "Why ever do you say that, I will never grow tired of you. You are the air that fills my lungs, the water that quenches my thirst. I do not think that my life would ever be the same, if you were not by my side. I would end up a total recluse and cantankerous in nature, so much so that all my visitors, who dared to privilege me with their company, would wish to stay no more than ten minutes. My bed would be celibate, for no one would be able to take your place as my lover, wife and friend."

"So if I were to die you would not remarry?"

"Lizzy! What has brought this on? You are going nowhere, do you hear me?" Darcy chastised.

"I am sorry, I just had a dark feeling within me, what would I do if you were to leave me. Then I wondered what would happen if the roles were reversed."

"This is all to do with what has happened, you felt scared that I would choose Rose over yourself, that would never happen. You need to realise that I chose you to be in my life. I could have married Rose last year, but I did not love her, to be truthful, I only just found her tolerable. But enough of all this, I will not make that woman subject of conversation with you any further, especially in our bed… Now, Mrs Darcy, have I ever told you that I love you, so very much."

"Just a few dozen times," she smiled, "but I will not grow tired of hearing it, Mr Darcy."

—

 _The day was cooler than expected and Elizabeth could see her husband approaching from the house, as she stood in the gardens, by the lake. To her surprise as he came closer, she could see he was carrying a bundle in his arms. "William? What are you doing with that baby?" she asked, as he walked towards the lake._

" _This is my son, Rose gave him to me this morning, I am just about to baptise him in the lake."_

" _But you said Rose was not with child, I do not understand? Why does he have red hair?" she queried, as she watched her husband hold the baby and dip him into the cool water. However, as this happened the child turned into a brown feather duck. "Oh, that's better, we need some ducks on the lake," he stated._

" _But the child, where did he go?"_

" _What child?" Darcy asked, now standing behind her, his clothing dry as a bone._

" _The baby you was just holding, Roses child."_

 _Just as she asked, she felt a nudge behind her. Turning around, she saw the duck again but now it was five foot tall. "I am Roses boy," the duck quacked._

" _That duck just spoke to me! How odd?"_

" _Yes, it's magic, just like you are, my lovely water nymph." As Darcy said that, Elizabeth found herself in the water. As she turned, she could see the giant duck paddling by, with her husband sitting on its back. "Come up here Lizzy, we can ride the duck together. Double up, so to speak."_

" _But there is no saddle, I will fall off."_

" _No you wont!" he said, as he pulled at her arm, in order to lift her up._

" _No! Don't William_ _… let go of me…"_

—

"No! Don't William, let go of me," she cried out in her sleep. This woke Darcy from his own dreams of his wife dancing at one of London's finest balls, parading herself in front of him in her new pair of embroidered, red silk breeches.

"What? Lizzy? Darling, wake up!" he groaned, still in a befuddled state of being half asleep.

"Oh William… Why did you wake me?"

"I think you were having a bad dream, you were crying out for me to let you go. What were you dreaming of?"

"Was I? Oh… it does not matter, it was nothing," she stated, not wishing to divulge that it contained Roses baby. "I think that all what has happened the past couple of days has played with my mind," she added, as she drifted back to sleep again. Darcy pulled her into his arms and settled himself back down, but kept awake until he could see she was in a peaceful sleep once more.

* * *

 **17th September 1811**

"Elizabeth, I want you to wear your new red gown tonight, for we are going out," Darcy grinned, as he announced his surprise the following day.

"Where are we going?"

Darcy smiled, "I am taking you to the theatre, it is my next phase of showing you off," he laughed.

"Let us hope we do not make Miss Bingley's acquaintance again."

"If she is there, we walk in the opposite direction. I doubt she will approach us, not after the spectacle she made of herself in Gunter's."

As Elizabeth returned to her rooms, Sophie was already preparing the red gown that they had received that morning from the modiste, Madame Bisset. Elizabeth was pampered and preened until she was perfection.

Darcy entered the room, as he did he gasped at her loveliness, "You look stunning, Elizabeth. I have something for you to wear," he stated, as he handed her the velvet lined jewellery case. "These jewels will sit beautifully against your skin."

As Elizabeth opened the box, she could not help the anxious whimper that came from her lips, "Are these from the vault?"

"Yes, but do not worry about them. You are comfortable with your wedding ring now, aren't you?"

"I am now. You were right about getting accustomed to it being on my finger. I suppose it will be the same with these jewels, but William, they are rather extravagant."

"They need to be where we are going. I do not wish to scrimp on finery tonight, I want you to radiate amongst the throng," he beamed, as he placed the choker around her delicate neck. Darcy allowed Sophie to place the remaining jewels upon his wife, the tiara sparkled and picked up the colours of her gown and the earrings were delicate, compared to the other pieces, but were still of substantial size.

As they entered the theatre, Elizabeth's eye was immediately drawn to the sign which stated that they were to watch The Marriage of Figaro. "Any reason for this particular opera?" she asked innocently, it was one of her favourites.

"No reason," he grinned, as he recalled hearing her sing one of the Aria's on the tour of his home.

As they made their way to their private box, Darcy spotted Richard in the crowds that were making their way to the Royal Circle. Ignoring his presence, Darcy continued to his private seats. "Here, you will need these," he stated, as he handed his wife the opera glasses that he had brought with him.

"These are not the usual standard you get in theatres," she pondered.

"No, I have brought them with us, they are better than what they provide here." He stated as she witnessed Elizabeth peer through them and into the crowds below.

"Oh!" she gasped.

"Oh dear, have you seen my cousin?" Darcy grumbled.

"Yes, did you know he would be here?"

"I only spotted him in the crowd, when we made our way to the box. He is likely to spot us, especially as you sparkle so."

"Maybe I should take them off," she said anxiously.

"No, do not hide. If he attempts to come in here during the interval, I will tell him to behave and if he does not I will throw him out, even if I have to do it with my own hands and everyone sees."

"Do not let him get to you. We will play it by ear, he may not even see us," Elizabeth soothed.

As the opera progressed, Darcy smiled as his favourite aria started. He took his wife's hand, which was resting on his thigh and squeezed it gently. She gazed at him, as he beamed a delicious smile. "See, another woman wearing breeches," he stated, as he watched Cherubino perform Voi Che Sapete.

"I know that aria, I can sing it to you in my finery, if you wish," she laughed.

"Oh, I have heard you sing it already, it made me very emotional."

"When? Oh… on the tour, was you watching me?"

"Of course I was, I was watching you the whole time, I was a blubbering idiot after you finished on the pianoforte. I am sure Mrs Reynolds saw me in such a state."

"Well, I hope she will not see me when I sing it to you again, in our bedchambers."

"Oh Lizzy," he stated as he brought her gloved hand up to his lips and kissed her fingers, "I will make sure I lock the doors, before hand."

As predicted, Richard came to see his cousin, during the interval. "Darcy, it is wonderful to see you here. Mrs Darcy," he bowed on addressing Elizabeth.

"Richard, what do you want? I told you to keep your distance."

Richard was taken back at his cousin's bitterness, for surely he would have been forgiven his faux pas by now. "I will not stay long, but wondered if I could call tomorrow, as I want to ask a favour."

"What sort of favour?" Darcy asked, as the usual favour was money.

"Just a loan until my top up allowance comes in from father," he stated, not wishing to divulge what it was for.

"How much are we talking?"

"Oh, a hundred will do," Richard said quite nonchalantly.

"What! Why do you need so much? No… do not tell me now, see me in the morning at around nine," he commanded. As he had agreed to see him, Richard took his leave and returned to his seat. The remainder of the evening was enjoyed and both Darcy and Elizabeth returned home in good spirits.

* * *

 **18th September 1811**

"Sir, Colonel Fitzwilliam is here to see you," the butler said, as he entered the study the following morning.

"Thank you Gladstone, send him in."

"Glad you could see me Darce, I did wonder if you would send me away with a flea in my ear, yesterday," Richard stated as he walked into the room.

"I have not heard why you want the money yet, it still may happen."

"Oh, you probably wont like why I want it. You know Rose is back on the market, well she has agreed to be with me, so long as I can get a house for her. She has seen the one she wants and I don't have the money for it. I can keep her with what I earn and father's allowance, but it is not due for another fortnight and she will not wait."

"Rose! I am surprised she even entertained you as a lover, she has very high demands now Freddie's physician has confirmed she is unable to bear children."

"You know that I pay particular attentions to her wants, unlike most men I can mention, that won her over," he smirked.

"Good grief! Are we back to that again. If you get caught, the rope will be around your neck in no time, it's illegal!"

"I know it is, we both do, it is not as if I go shouting it out around the place."

"You do, you have done to both Elizabeth and I, we know you like that sort of thing, you really need to be more careful."

"So will you lend me the money?" Richard asked again.

"No! I will not. It is wrong on so many levels. I will not be connected with that woman again and I certainly do not want to encourage your lawless behaviour."

"Oh go on, Darcy, be a sport, no one will know and it will not work out any more expensive than the whorehouses I go to. Fifty pounds then?" he asked, trying his luck with a lower amount.

"No! God damn it, Richard. Why would I want her back in my life? Our paths will likely cross due to your inability to keep aspects of your private life separate. I do not wish to allow that woman to come anywhere near Elizabeth," Darcy almost screamed at his cousin. "I suggest you go to your father for an advance, if you dare," he stated, knowing that the earl would not give his delinquent son a penny in advance.

At that moment, Elizabeth walked into the room. Darcy could see that she was only able to keep her countenance together. "Lizzy, I am sorry," he stated, knowing that she had overheard his angry words.

"It is alright William. I am glad you have refused."

"I am sorry Mrs Darcy, that you overheard our conversation," Richard stated with some amount of remorse that she had overheard their discussion.

"I take it this was the news you wanted to give to my husband when we met in the park?" she asked.

"Yes, I wanted to say that Rose was back on the market and I had a wanting to keep her." Elizabeth's stomach churned at the way he had put it, as though this woman was a horse being sold to the highest bidder at the local market. How could a woman stoop so low in life to allow her to be traded off from one man to another.

As she thought about what her new cousin had said, another realisation popped into her head. She sank into the nearest chair and turned away from the rest of the party. Darcy could see she was upset and told Richard to leave. As the room lightened of its occupants, Darcy sat down beside his wife. "What is it, Lizzy?" he asked, knowing that there was something else on her mind.

"If Richard had come to you after he met me in the park, you would have known that Rose was not with child. All the stress of the past few days would have been avoided."

"I did think that also, but what is done is done now. Do not think about that woman anymore, she has encroached into our lives to much already. I do not wish to hear that woman's name again." Elizabeth agreed that there would be no more thoughts on any of the women who had known her husband intimately, for it served no purpose other than to hurt both of them.


	17. Squeak Piggy Squeak

**18th September 1811**

"Shall we go and have breakfast?" Darcy asked, having delayed their meal for an hour, whilst he was discussing finances with his cousin.

"Yes, I am famished. All that exercise last night certainly has given me an appetite," she smiled, now having recovered from their earlier discourse with the colonel.

"You will certainly need more sustenance for the foreseeable future, as I wish to pay particular attention to you, my sweet Lizzy, for as long as it takes to redeem myself for my bad behaviour."

"Bad behaviour? Does that include last night?" she giggled.

"Last night? I seem to remember you were rather naughty, Lizzy, earning you a slap on the rear. Although, I did not expect you to react in such a way from a single tap. You were rather delicious as a result," he grinned.

"Yes… Well… Let us go eat before we relive that moment, here on the carpet," she smiled as she stood and took his hand, where she led him into the breakfast room. Cook had done the couple proud with a large spread of dishes upon the table, for there was more than enough to feed an army. "It is a good job I am hungry, for cook seems to have been under the impression that the whole of London has been invited to break their fast with us."

"I think she may have thought Richard was staying, usually when he turns up at this hour of the day, he hustles his morning meal from my table and he has a big appetite. One of the footmen must have mentioned his presence earlier and she assumed he would stay."

As they sat in comfortable silence, Darcy chuckled to himself from behind his newspaper. "You are mentioned in the papers."

"Oh, what do they say, was it to do with the opera?"

Darcy nodded and began to read out the article from the paper.

...

 _~ * A New Beauty in Town * ~_

 _London has lost another eligible bachelor, but has gained a rather stunning new lady._

 _Mrs Fitzwilliam Darcy was seen with her husband at the Theatre Royal in Covent Gardens last night, where they spent the evening watching 'The Marriage of Figaro' from their private box._

 _Mr Darcy was seen paying her particular attentions throughout the performance, the love for his wife was evident for all to see._

 _During the interlude, Mr Darcy's first cousin, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, paid a short visit to their box. The content of the conversation was not known, but rumour has it that the colonel was invited to Darcy house the following morning._

 _Mrs Darcy sparkled in the Darcy jewels, that have been in the family for over one hundred years. The tiara, choker and earrings are said to be worth a fortune and enough to keep a gentleman in luxury for his entire life. Her red gown was also rather impressive, the bodice being covered in ruby red crystals and is said to have been a creation by Madame Bisset of Bond Street._

 _All I can say is Mrs Darcy, you are one lucky lady._

...

Darcy looked up from his paper, after reading out the snippet, a smile formed upon his face. "I knew they would love you."

"Wait until we are at a ball or soiree, then see the scathing looks from the female population. I will not be their best friend, I can assure you of that."

"Ah yes, you have taken the grand prize away from under their noses," he laughed. Elizabeth just shrugged her shoulders and smiled innocently at her husband, displaying all the emotions that the proverbial cat had portrayed when he got the cream.

* * *

It was around four in the afternoon, when the party from Longbourn arrived at Darcy house. "It is wonderful to be back in town. Although the country has its perks," Mr Bingley stated, as he helped his betrothed down from the vehicle, closely followed by Kitty.

"Oh, Mary did not come?" Elizabeth asked, as she saw the younger sister appear.

"No, she was indisposed and wished to stay at home. She did not want to travel the journey of twenty-four miles, so remained at home with mama." Jane was able to explain, now that the men had gone into the house.

"Oh is it the usual problem?" Elizabeth asked, "She does suffer so in that aspect."

"Yes, it is a shame there is no medicine to assist her in her struggles," Kitty added.

"Come, let's get you inside, sisters, for you must be parched."

The sisters made their way into the parlour, however, the gentlemen were to be found in Darcy's study. "So you have the date for the wedding sorted out?" Darcy asked, as he handed Bingley a stiff brandy.

"Yes, the banns have been read twice now and the third will be read this Sunday. We have set a date for 15th of next month. When I say 'we', I mean Jane. I let her choose the date and believe she added a couple of weeks to give her mother more time to fluster over the preparations."

"You will not regret it, Bingley. Marriage is a wonderful thing, it is just a shame I did not discover Lizzy sooner, for I would have easily wed her at eighteen, although she states she would not have me back then."

"Was you ready for marriage then? I know you were uneasy for several months, but years?"

"Do you remember Wickham?" Darcy asked.

"Yes, he is your parson, at Kympton, is he not?"

"That's the fellow. He married Elizabeth's best friend at the time, but because it took place in Derbyshire, she did not travel the distance to the ceremony, otherwise I would have seen her there, two years ago."

"Gosh! What a small world it is that we live in. So if she had been there, you would have pursued her?"

"I would have, but it would have not turned out the same, for Elizabeth was not grown enough to appreciate the male form," he smirked.

"Oh, you mean her head would not have been turned."

"That about sums it up. I might as well try and persuade that decanter to love me," he said pointing at the brandy.

"Oh, such an object of desire," Bingley laughed, as he stroked the glass container.

As the men were making merry with their second love, the ladies were in the parlour, discussing events back at Longbourn. "Lizzy, Mr Bingley has been most attentive towards me. He has dined with us at least four times and the family has been invited to Netherfield nearly the same again, so there has not really been a day where I have not seen him."

"So his attentions are still the same as they were on the day he proposed?" Elizabeth asked curiously.

Jane could see her sister's tease and shook her head in disbelief. "Lizzy, you are so mean to me, no he is not _that_ affectionate, we both agreed that we shall leave that until after we are married."

"What happened?" Kitty asked, as she was none the wiser.

"Oh nothing Kitty, it was only a joke Jane and I played on Mr Bingley to make him see sense, and it worked," Elizabeth stated, hoping that the small explanation would satisfy her younger sibling's curiosity, and it did for Kitty did not question any further.

"Mama has all of us running around the house, trying to plan everything. The guest list was ridiculously long, which I blame mama for. She had added all of Meryton and I had to sit her down and tell her to cut it by at least three quarters. She was not best pleased, but I had to be firm. Aunt and Uncle Phillips can stay on the list, also Mrs Long plus a few others of mama's close friends, but the rest will need to be removed. We cannot cater for a whole village," she laughed. "Then I will have to sit with Charles in a day or two, for he has another long list. I can appreciate his close family and friends, but not his distant cousins in Scarborough or his acquaintances he has not seen since university."

"Oh Jane, what a conundrum you have, between mother and Mr Bingley, your will need to hire out St Paul's Cathedral to fit us all in."

"And the wedding breakfast will have to be in the great hall at Netherfield and not Longbourn, even with the cut down version of the list, it will still be a struggle at home. I need to speak to Charles, as the invitations need to be sent out within the next few days, we are cutting it close to the wick. That is one thing we need to do first before anything else, do you know of any printers in the area?"

"I do not, but I know William will know of such a place, as he has his stationary and calling cards printed, I will ask later as I am sure he is getting rather inebriated in the study with Mr Bingley."

"Oh, not another drinking contest," Jane sighed .

"Yes, it seems that the competitor comes out in both of them when they are together. I may go in and let them know that dinner will be ready for six, so to stay off the challenges until after we have eaten," Elizabeth said, on noticing it was nearly five by the clock on the mantelpiece. "You have time to freshen up and change before we sit down to eat. I have put you in adjoining rooms and Beatrice, one of the maids, has been instructed to unpack your trunks, so your clothes are not too creased. She can attend to you if you need any assistance with your hair and gowns."

* * *

After dinner, the men decided not to return to the study for their brandy, for Darcy knew that they were to carry on drinking with the ladies, as Elizabeth had arranged for several bottles of champagne to be served after dinner.

Mr Bingley was feeling rather light headed throughout the meal, so much so, that he was sure that he had stabbed himself with his fork on more than one occasion and imagined small prong marks all over his cheek. Darcy's constant smirking throughout dinner did not do anything for his drunken delusional thoughts and it had gotten to the point, when Bingley confronted his friend. "What is it Darcy? Why are you looking at me so? Do I have something on my face?"

"No, I am laughing because you wanted a drinking contest, but as soon as Lizzy said dinner was almost ready, you upped and got out of that room as fast as your legs could carry you. If you did not wish to continue the challenge, then you should have just said so."

"It was not that, I knew that you had already beaten me, for I could just about focus on the glass in front of me, whereas you did not seem affected in the slightest. I believe, Mr Darcy, that you have hollow legs." At this the whole party laughed, for Mr Bingley was indeed a sore loser and everyone could see that he was almost childlike in his defeat, Jane thought it ever so endearing.

"Mr Bingley, you will need to get yourself ready, there is more to come," Elizabeth stated, as she pulled the bell cord for Gladstone to fetch the champagne.

Within the hour, Darcy was removing his cravat and placing it around Elizabeth's eyes and gave her one of the cushions from the settee. Somehow in their tipsy state, they had agreed to play parlour games, even the ladies were rather merry. Kitty had requested "Squeak Piggy Squeak," as this was a game that she and Lydia had played at their aunt Phillips parlour, when they had small gatherings.

Darcy spun Elizabeth around a few times before he let go of her and moved away to sit back down in his seat, that formed part of a circle of chairs around Elizabeth. What with the champagne, not being able to see and the spinning of her head from the rotations, Elizabeth almost fell over as she took a step. On seeing this, Darcy leaned forward and grabbed her hand, but she laughed and placed the cushion upon his lap and asked, "Squeak Piggy Squeak." Darcy realised what he had done, he had fallen into her trap, so he attempted to squeal in a high pitch, which almost came out mouse like. "William, that does not sound like a pig," Elizabeth stated.

"Well, it is alright for the ladies, your voices are high naturally, it is rather difficult for us men, with low gruff voices," he bellowed. "I do not think this one counts, for I grabbed you from falling."

"Very well, spin me again then," Elizabeth sighed.

As she turned again, she moved towards Kitty, who was holding her breath in anticipation. She placed the cushion upon her lap and sat down gingerly. "Squeak Piggy Squeak," Elizabeth asked again.

Kitty let out a very impressive squeal, which did sound remarkably like a pig. Elizabeth knew it was a woman, but could not decipher if it was Kitty or Jane, but she chose incorrectly, so had to go again. On the third spin, she managed to get her husband once more, this time she was correct, not because of his unconvincing squeal, but his unique scent which had filled her nostrils as soon as she took seat upon his lap.

By the end of the night, the party was in such merriment after drinking best part of half a case of champagne between them, that they had invited the butler to join in, along with Sophie, Beatrice and Edward the footman, who had travelled down with Sophie. The games continued and several rounds of Bridge of Sighs were played. Sophie was rather embarrassed to have had to sit on Mr Bingley's back, whilst being kissed upon her hand by her master, even though everyone was giggling at the time, even Beatrice could see the funny side of seeing her employer on his knees, paying attention to the maid's hand.

The turn come for Elizabeth to sit and Darcy to be penitent. However, Darcy did not think his wife would sit on him as she did upon a horse and he felt her legs astride his broad back. She did not care that the men were in the room and her skirts had risen somewhat to show her bare calves. As Darcy took a few paces forward, he collapsed in a fit of giggles, calling out that he had damaged his cock as he hit the ground. This shocked Kitty, even in her tipsy state.

"Are you alright?" Elizabeth said, as she bent forward and breathed her concerns into his ear.

"Yes darling, I am very well," he chuckled as he lay there, grinning. His mind was spinning around due to his intoxication and he wished to gaze upon his wife at that particular time. "I would be even better if I were to turn and face you."

"No William!" she gasped, but it was too late for Darcy had managed to turn under her and was now flat on his back looking up to her. Elizabeth tried to get off, but her legs were getting rather numb at this point and with Darcy's hands about her hips, keeping her firmly sat upon his growing bulge, she could not move. He sat up and come face to bosom with her, where he attempted to nuzzle his nose into her cleavage. Elizabeth grabbed the hair at the back of his head and forced it into the crook of her neck, where she whispered her dissatisfaction to her husband, but he did not hear, for he had already blacked out in her arms.

Kitty did not know where to look, to see her sister and husband frolicking on the floor in such a way, it was too much to witness. She walked to the windows, which opened onto the gardens and walked out into the cool September air, whilst the travesty unfolded in the room.

As Elizabeth lay her husband back down onto the floor and carefully stood, she asked for assistance to get the master to his rooms. With the assistance of Edward, Roger the valet and the butler, they managed to get Darcy upstairs and into bed. Bingley, however, proved useless in his state and just collapsed onto the settee and within five minutes, was snoring softly into a tasselled cushion.

* * *

When the household stirred the following morning, things weren't quite what they should be. Bingley had once again remained on the settee and he had woken in the night. The result being that he had rearranged the furniture in the parlour to allow for a space in the centre of the room, where he had taken the coffee beans from the pantry and created yet another piece of art on the Persian rug, telling everyone of his feelings for his betrothed. However, this time it did not spell out something sweet, but something quite scandalous.

Luckily, Jane was the first to come downstairs and see what had occurred in the parlour.

As she walked into the room, she saw Mr Bingley on the sofa holding the jar of coffee beans, she gazed down at what he had written and gasped her surprise. For what she read was 'I want to kiss Jane's sweetness and bury my'. He had fallen back to sleep before he had finished, but Jane knew what he was going to write.

"Oh my god! Charles! You cannot say that," Jane chastised on seeing the message.

"What?" he grumbled, as he stirred again from his horizontal position on the settee.

"Charles, look!" Mr Bingley sat up and with bleary eyes, looked at what he had written. "Oh yes, erm?" he grumbled.

"Charles?" she said softly, as she sat down beside him. "I know you do, I feel the same, but soon my darling and you can take from me what you wish."

Mr Bingley gulped, he could not say a word but just looked at Jane with such a need. "Come, let us gather these together and put the jar back before someone notices it missing.

* * *

The breakfast table was a quiet affair. What with several occupants feeling rather ill and Kitty's total embarrassment of what had occurred the previous night, the meal was rather an awkward situation. Most were staring at their plates, contemplating on whether or not to eat and risk sickness, the men far worse for wear than the ladies. Elizabeth, however, was having none of it. "I am going to get cook to prepare raw eggs in milk and everyone is going to drink it!" she stated firmly. There were many groans around the table, but nobody had the courage or the energy to protest. Within fifteen minutes, the glasses were placed in front of each sorry soul, the concoction did not look at all appetising for it had not been stirred well. Edward had to hold back his laughter when he saw his master almost heave at the sight of the beverage.

"I am going to count to three and everyone will drink it down in one, understand?" Elizabeth explained.

"Elizabeth, can I not just sip it?" Darcy asked without bringing his head up from his hands.

"No, you will not get through it like that, believe me, mother always swears by this, but you have to take it in one."

"That is true," Jane added, "she usually drinks it after having rather a lot of punch at gatherings and she is well in no time at all."

"So… on the count of three. One… Two… Two and a half…" she giggled.

"Oh Lizzy, I got myself all worked up then," Darcy grumbled.

"Right! Here we go… One… Two… Three!" and with that all the party downed the gloopy drink with a few grumbles coming from the men.

"Oh lord!" stated Mr Bingley, "I think I am going to be sick!"

"No, do not, try and think of happy thoughts," Jane smirked, with the salacious look. He had no problem in thinking of something pleasant and therefore had forgotten about the churning in his stomach, as he imagined Jane's soft skin against his own.

Within a short time, the party was able to eat their breakfast, luckily the cook had the insight to prepare a cold meal, knowing that it would take some time for the occupants to even consider filling their bellies.

It was not long after they had completed their breakfast, when the butler came into the study to announce a visitor, luckily the ladies were in Elizabeth's bedchambers looking at all the fine dresses that she had commissioned in Chesterfield and London. "Sir, I have a Miss Bingley here to see Mr Bingley." But before Darcy could answer him, Miss Bingley walked straight past Gladstone and into the room.

" _So Charles, when was you planning on telling me that you had come to town?"_

"Caroline," he smiled, "I only arrived yesterday afternoon, give a man a chance."

"You should have called yesterday at Mr Hurst's, do you not think your family more important than your friends?" she stated, her disdain was directed straight at Darcy for he was no longer her favourite. He could not be, for he was now married and she had no chance with him now, not unless Elizabeth was to accidentally fall under the wheels of a passing carriage. The thought of pushing her at that crucial moment did cross Miss Bingley's mind a few times, but she thought better of it, for she did not wish to be hung by her 'pretty little neck' for murder.

"I was going to call this evening, I was in the middle of writing a note to you to let you know," he lied, for he had no intentions of seeing his sister for at least the first three days in town. "But now you are here."

"Yes, I am and I wish to discuss this silly notion of yours of marrying Miss Bennet, she is not good enough for you, brother."

"Miss Bingley, that is my sister you are talking of," Darcy stated with annoyance. How could she think Jane anything but adequate for his friend. Surely as a gentleman's daughter she was a good match to a gentleman who's money came from trade, for he was first generation and could not aim too high above his belt.

"Yes, and I pity you for your entrapment, Mr Darcy. Surely you would have not married Miss Eliza so easily, if she did not snare you into her web."

"Miss Bingley, for your information I love Mrs Darcy with all my heart, I could not have asked for a better wife. And I would like to add that she is Mrs Darcy, not _Miss Eliza._ Eliza isn't even her preferred name. _Would you like me to call you Miss Carol_ _… or Miss Carrie?_ Please have some respect…"

"Respect? You talk of respect! You marry that country bumpkin within a month of declaring your interest in me!"

"Not this again. Miss Bingley, I did not show you any interest, did you hear the words from my lips? Did I act in a way that would give you no doubt of an affectionate bond between us?"

"No, but my brother told me and he said you had spoke to him on the matter."

"Your brother was mistaken, he has already stated such. Do you honestly think I would spend the rest of my days with you?"

"Why ever not, you have mentioned in the past that you enjoy watching me take a turn about the room, so that you can admire my figure from your sitting position," she declared.

"Oh dear lord!" he breathed quietly to himself. "When did I say that?"

Miss Bingley was quiet for the first time since entering the room, for she could not remember. _He did, I am sure it was him_ _… Oh dear! Was it Lord Percy?_ she thought. "I cannot remember the exact time or date, but I remember those words distinctly," she blushed, now realising it was Lord Percy, at one of the soirees held the previous year.

"Well, I can confirm that I never said such words," Darcy challenged, for he did not think her figure _that_ pleasing to pass a comment on. He thought her only just tolerable and of a build that would see her through many a gestation, but he had quickly realised, earlier in the summer, that he did not really find her pleasing at all. He mused at how amazing one's mind could alter so quickly and then change back in a flash. Her whole existence was not enough to even tempt him into bed as his mistress, let alone his wife.

"We digress," Miss Bingley stated, knowing that she would not win this argument if it were to continue. "Charles? Please tell me that you are not marrying that Miss Jane Bennet and it is all fabrication."

"I cannot, for I am. Caroline I really think you…"

Mr Bingley could not finish, for Miss Bingley had stood before him, her body rigid with anger. "You will go against my wishes?" she shrieked at the top of her voice.

"Yes, in fact I will and I am. I have had it with your persuasive ideas, I am doing something I want to do for a change. If you do not like it, then I will give you your inheritance now and you can go, I do not wish to deal with you any longer!"

"But you cannot, you are my trustee."

"Only until you reach the age of five and twenty and you will reach that next month. You better find yourself a husband too Caroline, you are not getting any younger."

"Charles!" Miss Bingley gasped, for she had not heard her brother talk to her in such a way.

"Do not Charles me, I can easily transfer the money next month. If you want direction on investments, I would recommend seeking assistance from a good trustworthy banker. The five percents are the best deal at the moment, you will get a thousand a year back on your money."

"I cannot live on a thousand a year, what about living costs and my new gowns."

"Let Hurst have you, he has relied on my generosity long enough, let him do his fair share. I am sure Louisa will not throw you out and I assume you have already secured your voucher for Almack's for the coming season, go find yourself a rich idiot there."

Mr Bingley had reached the end of his tether, he had to think of himself first and that included Jane in his life. His sister was no substitute and he suddenly realised that she had moulded him into what she had wanted since his father's death. He left the room, leaving Darcy and Miss Bingley alone. Darcy could see the impropriety of it and made his way to the door, but as he opened it, he heard Miss Bingley's sobs. "I am sorry, madam, but I cannot justify your actions to allow me to give you comfort. You have made your own destiny in life and you will have to deal with the outcome the best you can. Bingley is his own man, he will do what he wants to, now that he has seen what a manipulating, scheming woman you are." With that he held the door open for Miss Bingley to depart. "I think madam, it would be best if you do not return here again."

As she left the room, he called out to the butler, "Gladstone, see Miss Bingley out and refuse her entry into this house from now on, she is not welcome here."

Darcy shut the door and went back to his desk, as he sat there, he contemplated on how Elizabeth was so different to the woman whom he had considered being his wife, not two months previous. He compared their qualities and how he had lived as a husband. _I doubt she would allow me to take privileges twice a day,_ he thought, _and would I even wish to entertain the idea?_

Darcy came out of the study as soon as he heard the front door close, indicating that Miss Bingley had left. He walked into the vestibule and was about to go up the stairs, when Elizabeth turned on the landing and was coming down. The look of worry was evident on her face. "What is the matter?" Darcy asked with concern.

"We heard everything, we were in my bedchambers." Darcy exhaled, he had forgot that his study was directly above the mistresses rooms.

"Did you all hear everything?"

"Yes, pretty much, although your voice is quite low, so did not carry all that well, but I heard most of what you said. Jane is devastated, she feels she is to blame for Mr and Miss Bingley's argument and now they will end up estranged."

"She had it coming, for a long time I could see she was manipulating Bingley. He now realises what she had been doing all this time, for years she has been like this and Bingley has had enough of it. Jane should not feel bad, she should be proud of him for growing a backbone."

"Thank you for what you said about me," Elizabeth said, as she wrapped her arms about his waist and kissed him tenderly.

"You are more than welcome, dear wife. Should we be doing this, here?" he grinned.

"Why not, we are husband and wife and this is our house."

"How I would love to take you upstairs and do wicked things to you," he groaned into her neck.

"What is stopping you?"

"Erm? Your sisters are ensconced in your room."

"Mr Darcy! You have such a way of distracting me, I forgot about Jane. Where is Mr Bingley?"

"I believe he is in the parlour?"

"I better go back upstairs and bring her down, I think they need to talk."


	18. The Boat Race

Mr Bingley had been pacing the room patiently, as Elizabeth helped her sister to calm from her near hysterics. He stopped and turned to Jane, as she entered the parlour. He looked sorrowful and had regretted the fact that Jane had overheard the argument that occurred between he and his sister, this did not sit well with him. The Darcys did not think it necessary to chaperone them, nor to keep the door ajar at this particular time, for much privacy was needed to enable them to talk frank and openly. "Jane, I am sorry. My sister just pushed her way in, she would not accept my decision. I have had enough of her constant negative remarks and I just snapped."

Jane took a seat on the settee and Mr Bingley quickly sat down beside her. Taking her hand in his, he stroked it gently between his palms, hoping this would sooth any tension she still possessed. "Charles, I think I should release you from your obligations to me," she whispered.

"What? No!" he blurted out. Sitting there petrified, he listened to Jane's explanation.

"I cannot break up your family. If you cut your sister off, I am sure the rest of your family will follow her suit and will not have anything to do with you. I cannot allow you to take such a sacrifice."

"Sacrifice!" Mr Bingley screeched, but quickly calmed himself, as he saw Jane flinch at his reaction. Now calmer and more determined to have his say, he continued. "Now listen to me Jane Bennet, you are the one sacrificing everything. If you think I will let you dissolve our agreement, you are mistaken. No Jane! I will not have it, you will be my wife." He stood and started to pace the room once more, as he was still struggling with what she had said.

"But they are your family."

"Yes I know, and family are supposed to accept each others choices in life, even if they do not agree with them, they should be happy for me. Besides, you are my family now, we shall wed and our family will grow with time. If you run from me, Caroline will certainly not be in my life, for she will have been the sole reason for my lifelong anguish, she will be the one I will blame for you running. So Miss Bennet, what is it to be? You run from your happiness and we both live a life of misery or you be my wife and we live happily ever after?" His determination was more evident in his countenance than Jane had ever seen before. He would not allow his sister back into his life, even if she were to walk away, so it was pointless for her to continue the sacrificial offering she was attempting to present.

"You will not reunite with your sister, either way?"

"No, so there is no point in parting, it will make little difference to my situation, other than a broken heart."

"Charles, I am sorry," she sobbed, "I do not know what I have done to make her think so ill of me."

"I believe it isn't you, it is that she wanted me to aim high, so that it propelled her into a higher social circle, she is selfish in that aspect, always has been. She wanted Darcy for a long time, not because she loved him, but because he is a member of le bon ton, she wanted his status. Now that your sister is married to him, she has taken it upon herself to double up her efforts, to ensure I have an advantageous marriage. Well, it will not do. She has overstepped the boundaries this time."

"Charles… kiss me," Jane whispered, she had been focusing on his lips as he spoke. She thought his mouth very inviting and could not concentrate on anything other than its closeness to hers.

Mr Bingley moved and pulled her into his arms. The kiss was soft but deep, his tongue had penetrated the confines of her mouth, where he found her willing and eager to respond in kind, but her movements were deliciously slow. They had not kissed in such a way since the proposal and his mind started to retrace events of that day, where he had the delight in feeling her most secret place.

Mr Bingley could not help himself and his hand wondered her person, hoping to feel the curves and contours of her body, so that he could store them to memory. He wished nothing more than to run his fingers up under her skirts and fondle her honey pot, hoping that the nectar from her core would douse his fingers. He knew he could not proceed with such an act, for he was already taking liberties kissing her in such a way, whilst sat in his friend's parlour.

As they abandoned their intimacies in favour of taking breath, Mr Bingley realised he was stricken with such a hardened reaction in his groin area. Not even the whores or his previous mistresses had ever made him throb so. He quickly realised that the addition of love for a woman made the whole aspect of coition all the more pleasing. If he was like this after only kissing her, what would he be like as he lay between her legs? His groan was soft and Jane knew that he was struggling with his baser instinct, so she pulled away. "Jane, how I love you so much, do not ever think of leaving me."

"No, no I will not leave you. I love you too, there is no other man on this earth that will take your place. So Mr Bingley, you have me whether you like it or not, for I will not act so silly in my demands to release you again."

"Good, and it will not be long before we can-"

At that moment, they were startled from their intimacies by a crash at the front door. "Darcy… Are you in?"

Bingley and Jane quickly stood and remedied their dishevelment, so that their appearance was slightly more acceptable. They made their way to the vestibule, where there was such a commotion. On opening the door, they found Darcy in a battle of wills with Colonel Fitzwilliam. "Please Darcy, thirty then? It will tied me over until my wages come in."

"No, I told you to go to your father."

"I did and he would not give it, so I took it upon myself to alleviate him of one of his many paintings, but he discovered my attempts to take it down from the wall in order to pawn the damn thing."

"Good grief! He caught you thieving? You were going to steal from your own father?" cried Darcy.

"No, I was only borrowing it as I was going to get it back, once I got my allowance. Now he wont give me my blasted money for another month on top. This is so frustrating, as Rose will not wait that long."

"Well, it looks like you have lost her then," Darcy sighed, thankful of the outcome.

As Mr Bingley and Jane approached the men, Richard turned and spotted them, but more selfishly, he spotted Jane. A rather delicious smile spread across his face and he was about to say something when Darcy stopped him, "Do not even think it, Richard!"

Bingley detected this turn of countenance and pushed Jane behind him, in his attempts to protect her. "Do not look at my fiancé like that!" he castigated.

"What? I have done nothing wrong," Richard smirked.

Bingley turned to Jane and told her to return upstairs, where Elizabeth and Kitty were. "Do not even think it," Mr Bingley stated, "she will be my wife in less than a month, she will never be your play thing."

"No, but she is yours, I bet," Richard grinned. Mr Bingley did wonder if the man could sense their earlier intimacies, he speculated if his bunchage was still tenting his clothing or Jane's rosy blushed complexion gave them away.

* * *

"Oh Lizzy, some military officer is downstairs arguing with William. Charles seems to know him too and urged me to leave. Who is he?"

"What is his name"?

"Oh… erm… Richard, I believe," Jane stated.

"Oh no," Elizabeth breathed, "He is William's cousin, you will do well to steer in another direction if you see him, he is very bad news."

"How so?" Kitty asked.

"I really should not say, but fear I need to explain what he is like. The first time I met him, he cornered me. If William had not come into the room, I am sure I would have been assaulted at the very least. He is a rake and that is putting it mildly. Elizabeth did not wish to mention that he wanted to take up with one of her husband's old mistresses, the thought still made her stomach churn and it was nobody's business but theirs. "Stay here, I am going to see if I can hear anything from the landing."

As Elizabeth made her way to the top landing, Darcy was making his way up the stairs. "He is gone, thank god!"

"What did he want?"

"He was still after the money, although it has reduced drastically since his first request, I refused and kicked him out. I was going to suggest we go for a walk in the park, but I fear we might run into him again."

"We could all go for a ride, is the Landau prepared?" Elizabeth asked, as she had ridden in it earlier in the week and thought it was such a joy, with the open top in such fine weather.

"That is not a bad idea, go tell Jane and Kitty to get ready and I will instruct the stables to prepare for an hour's time.

* * *

With much debate and jostling on deciding where to sit, the party settled down into their preferred seats. For proprieties sake, Jane should not have sat next to either of the men. However, Elizabeth wished to sit beside her husband and Jane was secretly wishing to be beside Mr Bingley. Kitty had stated she did not wish to go, as she felt the movement of the carriage may make her breakfast reappear. Feeling rather poorly still from all the champagne the night before, she decided to spend the time resting in her room.

As they rode through Hyde Park, Darcy could hear his name being called from afar. As he looked around, he saw Richard again, but what had surprised him most was the woman on his arm. He abruptly turned back and shut his eyes, not wanting to see. _God, if you are listening to my thoughts, please do not let Elizabeth look._ But as he knew her quizzical nature would not permit her to ignore the episode, his prayers were dashed as she turned her head to see who had made her husband so discomposed. Jane and Mr Bingley did not notice any of this, as they were too preoccupied on discussing the wildlife in the park, for there were many squirrels and birds in the trees and they spotted the ducks that had ventured onto dry land.

Elizabeth could decipher Richard in the distance, with a rather pretty petite blond lady, hanging onto his arm. She knew instantly who this Jezebel was, it could be no other than Rose. She was stunned for a moment at her recognition of the woman, but quickly turned her thoughts to her husband, who was still sitting there beside her, motionless and quiet with his eyes held tightly shut, hoping to keep the world out of his thoughts. "William, do not fret, they are gone," she whispered.

"But… Lizzy," he deplored, as he opened his eyes once more. Saddened that his wife had sight of the woman he had bedded, he could do nothing but apologise to her.

Elizabeth knew that she could not let her anxiety show, for this would make her husband's guilt even greater, so with much courage she simply stated. "I know, it was inevitable that our paths would cross, at least now I can put a face to the name. I did not expect her to look as such, she looks very sweet, not whore like at all. Who would think a pretty little thing would open her legs for monetary gain."

This broke Darcy from his sorrows, thinking his wife had taken it on the chin, like a good chap would do. "I love you so, Mrs Darcy."

"I know, you have told me often enough, but do not stop," she said, as she kissed him on the cheek.

" _Hu-humm! Do you wish for us to turn around and go home, so you can continue this in your own private rooms?"_ Mr Bingley asked, sarcastically.

"No, we can continue through Hyde Park and into Kensington Gardens and maybe stop by the Serpentine."

As they reached the lake, Lizzy could not help but mention the rowing boats that were making their way up and down the small body of water. "Look William, can we?"

"I do not think that a good idea, remember last time we were on a rowing boat," he smiled, but Elizabeth blushed.

"Oh what happened?" Jane asked, as she wished too to take a trip on the water.

"I fell in and then the boat tipped up as I tried to scramble back aboard, this made Lizzy topple into the water also. Luckily we were at Pemberley, so no harm was done other than being a bit sodden."

" _A bit sodden?_ " Elizabeth cried with laughter, "We were drenched to the bone, it did not help that you pulled me under the water."

"How else was I to kiss you under the watchful eye of your aunt and uncle." Elizabeth blushed again, for she did not know what to say to that, for he had taken liberties right under her guardians noses.

"Please can we, they look larger than the average boat, so must be very stable and there is a designated oarsman on each, I doubt they allow people to fall in all that often, or they would not get any custom."

"Fine, we can have two between us."

* * *

As they got into the boats, Mr Bingley shouted out that they should race to the end and back again. The oarsman looked at each other, smiled and nodded their agreement, for it was rather a mundane job rowing back and forth all day long. A little competition made it all the more enjoyable.

As they got half way to the end, Darcy and Elizabeth were in the lead. However, their boat had to stop to allow a swan right of way, as it passed them by. "Push it out the way, William," Elizabeth shouted, as her competitiveness grew.

"I cannot, it might attack me."

As they were bickering due to the swan dawdling in their pathway, Mr Bingley and Jane passed them by. "Having trouble there, Darcy?" Bingley laughed. "I think we are likely to win this race, Jane. What say you that the loser pays for luncheon at Gunter's?"

"Oh yes, can we Elizabeth?" Jane shouted across to the other boat.

"Do you hear that? This is for monetary loss now, get that bird out the way. Shoo! Shoo!" she cried.

"Lizzy, the bird cannot understand you."

"Do you suppose I should quack?" she snickered.

"You can, but it wont understand that either as its a swan. We are clear now, so full speed ahead my good man," Darcy stated to the oarsman.

As they turned at the end of the lake and made their way back, they caught up with the other boat, as it had stopped and was waiting patiently for the same bird to move out of their way. "Oh look, it seems that the thing is on her return trip," Elizabeth laughed.

"Do not worry, we will catch you up," cried Bingley, as the Darcy boat breezed past.

As they made their way to the finishing line, the Darcy's finished first and therefore won the contest. "Do you ever lose at anything, William?" Elizabeth asked, as they returned to still land.

"No, I don't think I have lost anything, certainly not where Bingley is concerned."

* * *

As the party returned home, after a light luncheon at the tea rooms, the Bennet sisters and Mr Bingley departed again, as they had an appointment with Madame Bisset. Luckily, Kitty had taken a small tea in her room not an hour before, but was still rather disappointed that she had missed out on the boat ride and eating at such a fine tea room. Darcy, in his guilt of leaving one of his sisters out of the entertainment, stated that she could have the modiste make her a gown and for it to be put onto his account. Kitty's eyes lit up when he said this and all mention of Gunter's and boats were forgotten.

"Do you not wish to take a rest, Lizzy, the fresh air must have made you tired," Darcy stated, as soon as they were alone.

"No, it has only made me more energised," she puzzled.

"Oh, you do not wish to go to our bedchambers," he said, now smirking and so allowing his wife to understand his intentions.

"Oh… I see, so William, are you equally as tired as myself?"

"I am rather. I will see you upstairs in a few minutes, darling."

As Darcy entered the bedchambers, Sophie had just finished unfastening Elizabeth's dress. "You may leave us Sophie, I can see to the mistresses needs from here," he stated and she quickly took her leave.

"So Mr Darcy, are you to play Abigail, once more?"

"No, you do not need my assistance," he bid.

"What? I do not understand, are you not going to help me?"

"You do not need my help, Lizzy, I want you to remove the remainder of your clothes… slowly. I want to watch you."

Elizabeth thought this a delicious idea, as she knew this was a wonderful time to tease her husband, beckoning him on, but not allowing him to touch her. She could feel the dampness between her legs building at the thought of just that, she knew he would be driven to distraction at her little performance.

Darcy sat down on the edge of the bed, where he removed his boots, loosened his cravat and unfastened his own waistcoat. His eyes were eager, taking in all that was being played out in front of him, for Elizabeth was not only removing her gown in a slow torturous way, but he was sure that the look on her face was begging him to take her.

As her dress and then her stays were dropped ceremoniously to the floor, Darcy could see the outline of her womanly shape through the translucency of her silk chemise. His hands were itching to touch her, but was able to abstain from his urges. He watched her in an unbearable state of wanting, as he witnessed her remove her chemise, tantalising him as she licked her lips and stroked her own naked body with her delicate fingers. Her own caresses concentrated on her now tightened nipples and surrounding area, making them bumpy and rigid. Darcy wanted nothing more than to suckle on such delicacies, but knew that to touch her at this moment, would end their afternoon liaison all too soon.

He gazed down the length of her body, which was now heaving heavily due to her arousal. He could see her femininity wet and glistening in the afternoon sun, which was casting a warm light across her womanly form. He continued to take in all of her, as her hand moved down her body towards her pudenda. The tips of her fingers disappeared into her folds, which lay beneath the thatch of dark hair, where she circled her own bud, until it swelled under her fingers. This made Darcy groan his annoyance at the hindrance of it not being his own fingers doing the task. "Lizzy, I cannot bear this any longer, I must have you!" he stated, as he got up from the bed and walked towards her.

However, Elizabeth stopped her ministration, tutted and told him to return to the bed, "Mr Darcy, you are getting rather premature. Watch, but do not touch," she teased, with an indecent look upon her face.

"But Elizabeth!"

"No, you wished for me to undress, and I still have my stockings on," she giggled.

"Let me help then?"

"No, you did not wish to be Abigail, so you have to be Mr Darcy, just watching his wife undress."

She knew that she had him where she wanted him. He was on the end of her tethered rope, struggling to get free, so that he could devour her at the earliest opportunity. This thought made her even more aroused and she could feel something trickle down the inside of her thigh.

"Dear lord! I just…" Darcy stated, as he saw what his wife had felt, but had to gulp back his reaction, as he witnessed Elizabeth scoop up the juices with her fingers and place them upon his lips. He eagerly licked them clean and fell back onto the bed, but as she was now out of his view, he sat back up abruptly and recommenced removing his own clothing with flurry, until he was naked, hardened and throbbing.

Elizabeth moved towards the bed, to where he was sitting on its edge. She placed one foot upon his thigh, where she slowly released the bow of the garter ribbon, slipped her fingers into the top of her stocking and slowly dragged it down her leg. She then proceeded to drape it about his neck, like a scarf. She then repeated this action with the other stocking and threw it over her shoulder.

"So, Mr Darcy, I have undressed for you, what do you wish to do now?" she feigned innocence, as she bit her bottom lip.

Darcy fell down onto his knees and grabbed her rump, forcing her into his face, where he groaned his appreciation of her femininity. She was wet for sure, the tantalising removal of her garments had secured that fate and that of his stiffened boy, which was weeping its desire to have her.

He stood, turned her around and pushed her down onto the soft mattress, where he pinned her beneath him, his eagerness to prove his wants for her was indisputable, there was no doubt he was a man so desperately in love.

His first reaction was to taste her. The state of her lady parts did nothing but fire the ardent passion that was pumping through his veins. As he devoured all that he could from her arousal, he pushed his fingers into her core and moved them slowly, mirroring the lap of his tongue. Elizabeth cried out her desires and her body began to rock against him, where his body made contact with hers, she hoped the movements would spur her on, but she needed more. "Please, I need you inside me," came a whispered plea. Darcy did not hesitate on this request, he could feel she was close and wished to ride the sensations of her heightened pleasures with her.

Their movements were fluid and slow until the last flurry of fervent desire, which caused Darcy to quicken his pace, followed by their mutual groans, which echoed about the room.

He embraced Elizabeth and rolled onto his back, taking his wife with him. She rested her head upon the roughness of his chest, the hairs tickling her nose as she breathed herself calm.

"We have to do that again, how titillating it was to watch you in such a way, Lizzy. I think I was correct in referring you as a magical being, for you have captured me, body and soul into your spell."


	19. Every Rose has its Thorn

As the week drew to an end, so did the Bennet sisters visit. "Do you have to leave so soon?" Elizabeth asked of Jane, on the morning of their departure.

Jane was overseeing the packing of her trunk, that Beatrice was paying particular attentions to. Luckily, she had not brought many clothes with her, knowing it would only be for a week, so the task was short lived. "I am afraid so, mother only allowed a week in London and to be honest, I am worried she will re-invite the whole of Meryton in my absence. It took over an hour to persuade Charles to cut his list by one half and now it is of an adequate length to enable us to have the wedding breakfast at Netherfield Hall. The invitations, which do not consist of the Hertfordshire guests, were sent yesterday and I will persuade Mary to help me deliver the Meryton invitations by hand.

"Charles made a call at the Hursts yesterday and delivered their invitations. He has not included Caroline, as he is still angry with her, even though she has attempted to hold out the olive branch. Here are your invitations, I hope you are not back at Pemberley and can attend."

"Of course we can, Jane. William and I have already discussed our return to Derbyshire, we will come to Hertfordshire in the morning and be on our way the following day. I might ask mama if we can stay at Longbourn, as I feel you will not want us around on your wedding night."

"I agree, I do not think that would help my nerves, knowing you are in the house when we retire."

"Are you worried, Jane?" Elizabeth asked with concern.

"No, not really… well… I am worried about the pain, not anything else. You know we have taken some liberties in that aspect and I was not panic stricken then, in fact I was quite the opposite. You managed to avoid the pain, maybe I should have taken a tumble or two in the gardens," she sighed. Elizabeth did not think it necessary to tell her sister that she did get some pain, and it hurt. However, she refrained from divulging that part of their consummation, as it would serve little purpose other than more worries.

"I am dreading mother's talk. I don't know whether I will me mortified at her vulgar explanation or laugh at the silliness I know it will be. I suppose I will have to hear her out, even if I know what goes on in the marital bed."

Seeing the last dress being folded and placed into the trunk, reminded Elizabeth of the trips to the modiste. "So you have all the dresses being made, no more fittings?"

"I had the final fittings along with Kitty's, which she is so happy with, yesterday. They will deliver the dresses in a week's time, to Netherfield Hall. I cannot believe how many Charles had allowed me to buy, twenty dresses is a silly amount."

Elizabeth laughed, "You think twenty is silly. William insisted on a dozen from Chesterfield and another three dozen from London, all with shoes to match, then there are the half a dozen breeches he insisted I get and all the other paraphernalia that goes with them."

"He certainly likes you in men's clothing," Jane laughed.

"I think it is more of a case of knowing what will happen when I put them on, although I have never refused him any attentions he shows me."

"Never?" Jane thought, thinking her sister had now been married over the month, "What about when you have your courses, surely you retreat to your own bedchambers?"

"No, I do not, a bath and a few spare sheets laid out are all you need."

"Oh, I am not sure I can deal with that, it's all rather macabre." Elizabeth just laughed at her sister's wincing.

"It is not that bad and if you have a loving husband, he will put you at ease and not allow you to worry about the sheets, or indeed yourselves, being defiled."

"I still do not know about it all. I do feel that Charles will run back to his bed chambers a quivering wreck, if I were to entice him into my bed at such a time," Jane frowned.

As the carriage pulled away from Darcy house, taking the guests back to Hertfordshire, Elizabeth let out a deep sigh. "I will miss them extremely, especially my talks with Jane."

"We can always have your family to stay, once we are back home. Remember, Lydia wants a ball, so Christmas would be a good time to invite everyone down. Mr and Mrs Bingley no doubt will be out of their honeymoon period and we will be settled back home.

"Talking of which, I have not given you much of a honeymoon," he shrugged, "did you wish to travel anywhere, before Christmas?"

"Not really, why would I care to be away from such a wonderful place, such as Pemberley, let us just go home after the wedding."

"I am so glad you think that of Pemberley, we can always go travelling whenever you wish. Now… I must leave you for a short while, the attorney in town has sent a message to say that the final settlement papers have been drawn up. Will you be able to amuse yourself whilst I am away? I should not be more than three hours."

"Yes, go William, I will be fine on my own. If not, I have Sophie to keep me company," she smiled.

* * *

Darcy left at noon, so that he could make the hour journey across London. It had not been ten minutes since his departure, when Gladstone entered the parlour, where Elizabeth was sitting. "Ma'am, I am sorry to trouble you," Gladstone said, his voice was not of its usual strength, he seemed rather cautious of his words.

"What is it, Gladstone?"

"There is a visitor on the doorstep to see you. She specifically asked for you."

"Who is it? Why have you left her on the doorstep?"

Gladstone cleared his throat, he could not look at his mistress when he answered, "It is Miss Rosemary Davenport, ma'am," he stated as he handed over her calling card.

Elizabeth stiffened at the name, but unsure if this was the same Rose that had haunted her thoughts for several days now. "Is Miss Davenport very well known to my husband?"

"Yes, ma'am, she is the same woman," he stated, refusing to call her a lady, "do you wish for me to send her away?"

"No, invite her into my husband's study, I will see her in there," she stated, as she wished to confront this woman, who by all means was pulling the colonel's strings in requesting the funds to keep her in luxury.

She paced the parlour floor for a few minutes, as she composed herself. Wondering what she would say to this woman. She concluded that she would play it by ear, knowing she had enough intelligence and courage to interact with her, without faulting.

She walked across the parlour and into the study, where the pretty blond was sitting in one of the wing back chairs, by the fire. On seeing Elizabeth enter, Rose stood and stared at the mistress. "I did wonder what sort of wife, William would end up with," she smiled, but that smile did not seem sincere and Elizabeth could feel her brow furrow and her wrath build.

"Miss Davenport, please refrain from using my husband's first name, you are not on intimate terms with him now," Elizabeth stated firmly. _How dare she call him by his given name, she has no right._

"I am sorry, I did not mean to offend, it is just that I always knew him as such."

Elizabeth took a seat behind her husband's desk, hoping that her placement in the seat would reflect her superior station in life. "Well, Miss Davenport, you are no longer one of his acquaintances, so you can stop your familiarity instantly. You are lucky he is not here, he has only just left for an appointment. What is it you want?"

"I know he is away, I have been watching the house for the past hour, waiting for him to leave. The colonel disclosed that he had a meeting in town this afternoon, so made my way here an hour ago. I am sorry that I caught you off guard-"

"You did not catch me off guard. I am, however, curious as to why you are here."

"Richard… I mean Colonel Fitzwilliam sent me to see you, hoping that we could talk, woman to woman."

"About what, exactly." _Surely he has not sent his woman to do his dirty work, woman to woman, how dare he!_

"He requested that I ask you if you could see your way to speak with Mr Darcy, in relation to the loan. I know it is all rather embarrassing for the both of us, but he is desperate."

" _Desperate?_ Maybe if you could learn to love him and be his wife rather than an expensive whore, he would not need to make sure you are _'looked after'_ in such an expensive way. Or… do you like lying on your back for your keep?" Elizabeth had had enough, she could not bite her tongue any longer. The gawl of the woman to come to the home of her ex-lover and ask for an audience with his new wife was beyond belief.

"But nobody will have me, I cannot have children," she said trying to defend herself, but Elizabeth new different.

"That was not the case when you first went into the lifestyle, what are you now? Thirty? You only really knew for certain when you were seen by Viscount Hamilton's physician. Before then, it was just assumed and that assumption could not have been firmly fixed when you took your first lover. How many years have you lived like this?"

Rose was now very agitated, she did not expect that Mrs Darcy would be so strong in her character. "Ten years, but I was forced into it through tragic circumstances. I was the only child of a lowly gentleman, when father died ten years ago, I had no choice. I had been thrown out of the house by my father's younger brother, who inherited it through an entailment. I had no real education and what money I had was not enough to keep me in stockings, let alone a roof over my head. My mother had died in childbirth, so I was alone and destitute, how was I supposed to survive."

Elizabeth, who was now standing, sunk back down into her chair. She recognised the story all too well, as it could have been her own situation, if her father had died suddenly. However, her own thoughts would have been to go into service, even if she could earn a living scrubbing floors, it was better than lying on her back and allowing men take what they wanted from her, including her dignity. "Why did you not seek employment that did not involve an education, I am sure you are capable of getting down on your hands and knees and cleaning out a sooty grate or two?"

"I could have done, but I am a gentleman's daughter!" she snapped.

"You _were_ a gentleman's daughter. When your father died, your status was no longer that of what you had been accustomed to during his life."

"It just seemed the obvious solution, the easiest to maintain."

"Until your looks fail you, then what? Who would care for a fifty year old mistress, when a there are plenty of twenty year old women out there, eager to please?

"As to your initial question, regarding funds for the colonel, the answer is no. I do not go against what my husband wishes, he is master in this house and what he decides is the final word. Maybe you should try and learn to love, rather than see who's bid is the highest, or in the colonel's case, who is willing to do what most men are not."

Rose stiffened on realising that Elizabeth knew why she had chosen Richard. "You know you both can be in trouble with the law if you get caught, do you wish to stand before the magistrate and plead your innocence?"

"We will not get caught," she breathed erratically, as she tried to calm her nerves.

"No? What would happen if he were to damage you, you would need to seek out a physician then. How would you explain the injury? You would not be able to." Elizabeth did not know exactly if that sort of thing could happen, but it was a possibility, that part of a man's body was not made for that part of a woman's body, plain and simple.

"Besides the obvious, Miss Davenport, what do you enjoy doing?" Elizabeth asked, as she tried to see this woman from another angle, hoping to persuade her out of her present situation.

"I like to bake, I cook quite a lot. I always took delight in preparing meals for father, even though we kept a cook and Mr Darcy used to like my biscuits.

Elizabeth thought for a moment, _it would not take much money to set her up in small business, with living accommodation._ "So, if you had a benefactor and you could set up a tea room outside London, where nobody knows you, you would give up your lifestyle?"

"Yes, but I doubt I would be able to, I have no business skills."

"But that is something you can learn. Let me talk to Mr Darcy, if I can persuade him to give you the money to lease a property for a year, to get you started, then we may be able to set you up with your own business. Do not be too hopeful, as I fear Mr Darcy will be mad at me for even allowing you into the house. Let me discuss with him and I will contact you in due course.

"But, Miss Davenport, this will only be on the premise that you remove yourself from the lifestyle you find yourself in. If we do venture down this path and I find out you are still seeking lovers, I will have no qualms in withdrawing all funding, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, very."

As she took her leave, Elizabeth flopped back into the chair. On hearing her story, Elizabeth's anger towards the woman had softened and sympathy replaced her harsh emotions. _How am I to explain all this to William, without him hitting the roof? If I had not met him, I could have well been in the same boat in years to come, how can I leave this woman in such a dire consequence?_

* * *

It was a little before three in the afternoon, when Darcy returned from the attorney. Elizabeth had worried herself into a headache and had taken to her bed, just before the master returned home. "Lizzy? Are you not well. Gladstone said you retired due to a headache?"

"Oh, I have had the most awful afternoon. I do not know where to start, at the time I thought it the right thing to do, now I am not so sure."

"What? You are not making sense, darling. What have you done?"

"I had a visitor today, someone you wished that I would never meet."

At this Darcy's eyes widened and the look of terror on his face was apparent. "Rose?"

"Yes, she arrived shortly after you left this afternoon. I had contemplated on refusing her an interview, but my curiosity befell me and I could not help but listen to what she had to say. I must admit I told her what I thought of her, literally calling her a whore, but as we talked, I realised that she was forced into the lifestyle."

"Lizzy, do you realise what you are doing?" Darcy said through gritted teeth. "You know I did not wish for you to ever see her, let alone meet her. You have gone against my expressed desire," he shouted, now angry with his wife for defying him.

"I was curious, as I said. I did not think it would do any harm, giving her ten minutes of my time," she said in defence.

" _So, now you are best of friends? When are you next planning on a meeting? Do you plan on discussing bedroom antiques to keep Mr Darcy happy, over tea and cake?"_

"William! It is not like that!"

"I cannot deal with this now, Elizabeth, I am too angry and I will no doubt say something I will regret," he stated firmly and walked out the room, slamming the door behind him.

Elizabeth fell back onto the bed, weeping into her pillow. She had not realised he would be so angry, she thought maybe he would be annoyed, but she had never seen that look before, it was almost murderous. She did not venture out of the room for the rest of the evening, requesting that a tray be brought to her. As it was nearly midnight, she readied herself for bed and on using the commode for the final time before sleep, she noticed that her menses had started. _Wonderful! That is all I need. My husband angry and not talking to me and now I have my courses to contend with._ She silently made her way to his bedchambers, where he was sitting up in bed, reading. As she walked into the room, she headed straight to his dresser without even a glance in her husband's direction. He stopped reading his literature as soon as she entered, looking up at her he wondered if she was about to crawl into his bed, which he desired. He did not wish to be angry with her, but he could not, at that moment, apologise. He watched as she walked to the dresser, where he noticed her pulling out the red cravat from the top draw, she made her way to the bed and with anger pumping through her veins, she abruptly tied the fabric into a messy knot around his bedpost. She turned on her heels and briskly walked away towards the door, not giving him a glance, but as she went to exit, she heard a saddened voice, calling her name. This single word 'Lizzy' stirred her countenance more than she wished, it had upset her beyond that of his shouting from that afternoon, she could not bring herself to turn around, so quietly opened the door and returned to her own bedchambers, where she got into bed and allowed herself to cry into her pillow once more.

Darcy was still angry, but was now calm enough to show an amount of remorse for upsetting his wife so with his fury. His father had always taught him never to shout at a woman, not even a servant, for it proved nothing other than discord and disharmony amongst the household. It was only a matter of a few minutes when she heard her own door being opened, the rustle of her husband's robe could be heard before she felt his hand upon her shoulder. "Lizzy, do not cry, please. I am sorry for shouting, it was just an awful lot to grasp. She is history, let her stay there."

Elizabeth could not answer, her sobs were too heavy to control. Darcy lay down next to her and held her close to him, but she did not wish for his touch."William, please can you go back to your own room, I wish to be left alone," she stated with as little emotion that she could manage. She did not wish to break down any further in his company. She had to be strong and stand up for what she believed in. Yes, Rose was a blot in her husband's history, but now she was part of her present, their present life. This was a chance to give this woman a new life, away from that she did not want, had not wanted and was only pushed into it by circumstances, that Elizabeth could have very well found herself in.

Darcy stood and bent over to kiss her on the forehead, but Elizabeth flinched at his touch. Darcy felt this and it made his heart break, he had hurt his wife in a way that he had vowed he would never do. To shout at the woman he loved was in his eyes, abuse in the simplest form. "We will talk tomorrow, sweetheart, try and get some sleep, please," he begged. Elizabeth relaxed her body, as she heard the door close and stillness fill the air once more, only to be filled again by the return of her cries.


	20. By the Blade

Elizabeth did not sleep at all that night, she lay in the darkness thinking of what she had done wrong. Going over her actions of the day before, she could only see good in what she had done, she was trying to improve the life of someone, who was once close to her husband. She tried to look at it from Darcy's point of view, he did not want her to know Roses name, yet Richard had furnished her of that fact. Then the issue with the baby and the days of turmoil before they discovered it was nothing to do with Rose, and finally seeing her in the park. Each time, he wanted to shelter her from that woman and what she represented, but she had slighted everything that he had attempted to do, by welcoming the woman into their home.

How was he to react to that? He had tried his best to protect her and she just disregarded everything, no wonder he was angry with her. He had walked away from her and their argument, so it would not intensify, for he had said he would say something he would regret, so removed himself from the situation. Was that so bad?

Luckily, she did not divulge what she had offered Rose. She thought that she could no longer discuss this with her husband, as this would only rub the open wound that had already manifested itself into his heart.

As she came down to the breakfast room, she noticed Darcy's absence immediately. "Gladstone, where is the master?"

"Mr Darcy left early this morning, he did not indicate how long he would be, but stated only to prepare your luncheon, as he was unsure if he would be back in time. He did not say where he was going, ma'am."

Elizabeth's heart sunk down into her stomach, she knew that he was still angry, had he taken himself off as he could not face her? Or was he punishing her by leaving her to stew in her mood, which he could see she was drowning in the night before. He had said they would speak the next day, but now he had run from her once more. _Oh, how I need my Jane at this moment._ She knew that Longbourn was too far to travel, she needed Jane, but it would take more than a day to travel there and back. _If he does not wish to see me, then he shall not,_ she stubbornly thought, now annoyed at being left alone. She took herself back up to her rooms and locked the doors.

Having had the books that were purchased from Hatchard's brought up to her, she spent the whole day reading and when she could not focus on the words on the page, she would fall to sleep for an hour or so, then awaken refreshed and able to continue reading. And so a pattern was formed, until the moon appeared in the sky.

At nine o'clock, she heard her husband's voice in the corridor, it was muffled but she distinctly heard him say, "She does not wish to see me?" He had been talking to Sophie, who had been instructed to relay the message to him, if he were to try and enter her rooms. She heard him try the door, but it was locked and as the key was still in the keyhole at a slight angle, he could not use his own set of keys on the other side of the door.

"Did she say why she would not see me?" she heard her husband ask her maid once more. Sophie had replied only to say that she was still upset, but urged him to rest himself. Elizabeth listened to his footsteps move away from the door and the clip of his heels, as he went downstairs.

Another night of restless sleep was upon her. It was midnight and the room had become rather warm, so in need of air, Elizabeth opened the balcony doors and walked out into the cool September breeze, where she leaned against the brick facade of the building and closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath.

"Lizzy?" came a soft voice, she did not realise that Darcy had also been sitting outside, as both bedchambers doors led to the joint balcony. She did not look in his direction, but turned away in order to re-enter her rooms. "Will you give me a few minutes of your time? Please!"

"No, William, I do not think it wise at this time of night," she said with her back to him, trying to keep the lump in her throat at bay. As she entered the room, once more, she closed the doors behind her, leaving her husband standing outside, alone.

* * *

 **26th September 1811**

Elizabeth kept to her room again the next day, not wishing to see her husband at the breakfast table, she requested her meal be brought to her rooms on a tray once more, feigning that she had a headache. "Is the master up yet?" Elizabeth asked Sophie, as she settled her meal down onto the small table by the window.

"No ma'am, he is resting still," Sophie stated, slightly agitated at her words, but the mistress did not pick up on this, only the time of day concerned her. Elizabeth looked at the mantelpiece clock, noting it was nearly eleven o'clock. _So late?_ she pondered, but then reconsidered it to be only natural, for he was probably in the same state as herself, the lack of sleep the previous two nights would have pushed him into exhaustion.

She had settled in her chair and started to read once more, when she heard voices again outside her door, it was not that of her husband, but she recognised Sophie talking to Gladstone. "Do you think we need to call a doctor?" Sophie stated, the worry in her voice did not go amiss this time. Elizabeth wondered if she was referring to the state of her own health, for although she was physically well, her mind was in chaos and it showed in her demeanour.

"I think it is wise, he was supposed to rest and Roger had to stay with him, so that he could keep an eye on the master. Apparently, he spent some of the night on the balcony, just so that he could be that much closer to the mistress."

At this, Elizabeth nearly fell to the floor. Had her husband caught a chill due to her withdrawal from him? She pondered on those thoughts for a few moments and realised she had made him suffer.

"But the bleeding will not stop, so I think it is best that we call for the doctor," Gladstone stated, now proving to be worried himself.

"Yes, call Dr Clark at once. He may need to put some stitches in the wound."

At the mention of a wound, Elizabeth quickly unlocked the door and ran into the corridor, alarming Gladstone. "Is the master injured?" she cried out.

"Ma'am, he is, but it is only a superficial wound, no bones are broken," the butler stated, trying to calm his mistress somewhat, but only succeeded in making her cry out her concern.

"Why did nobody tell me?"

"The master told us not to say anything yesterday, he was injured, but still well enough to move around freely. He wanted to explain everything to you himself. His valet said he ventured out onto the balcony at around half past eleven and when he went back to check on him at two in the morning, he found him still on the balcony, almost unconscious. He has not stirred since."

With that information, Elizabeth rushed along the corridor and threw open the door to the master's bedchambers. "William! No!" she cried, as she rushed to his side. She clambered up onto the bed and fell down beside him, hugging his injured body, ensuring she did not touch his bandaged arm. She did not care that the valet was sitting in the corner, keeping a vigilant eye on the master. Through the tears, she could see he was pale, his complexion was not healthy at all and his arm was in a bloodied dressing. "What happened, Roger?"

Roger explained the whole event from the previous day, as he had accompanied his master. "Mistress, the master went to his uncle's house yesterday morning in order to discuss with him the importune actions of the earl's son. The earl was rather irate at having to hear of his son's latest scheming and sent a messenger to instruct his return to the house.

"Well, on the colonel's return, things got heated as the officer had been drinking since daybreak. The master ended up in an altercation with his cousin, whom he had at one point secured into a headlock. Due to this, the colonel pulled out his dagger and stabbed the master's arm in order for him to let go. The master fell to the floor and the colonel left in rather a hurry, probably thinking that he had killed him.

"The earl called for his own physician and the wound was dressed and Mr Darcy was urged to rest in the earl's guest room. Mr Darcy, however, wished to return home, as he did not want to be away from you any longer. The doctor had to sedate him to stop him from leaving, but the medication only lasted a few hours and by seven he was instructing me to prepare the carriage for his departure.

"He was well enough last night, but when I found him on the balcony, the master was drenched in blood and it would not stop, I have managed to slow it down."

"Dr Clark is being called for. Why was it not stitched yesterday?" Elizabeth asked.

"The earl's physician thought it was not needed, he managed to stop the bleeding with the use of a very tight bandage. It must have been his movements that had reopened the wound… Ma'am, it is only a small wound, but deep," the valet stated.

Elizabeth was still lying next to Darcy, she had not moved throughout the whole conversation, as she wished to be as close as possible to him. The valet could see she wanted to be left alone, so he made his way to the dressing room, indicating he would remain there if he was needed.

She looked down at his pale face once more, her fingers stroked his cheek and her words urged him to respond. "Please William, wake up, I am so sorry for everything." She thought of how this could have got out of control and ended up in some sort of challenge, a duel perhaps? How would she have lived with herself, if he had died? She snuggled into his lifeless body and placed her head into the crook of his neck, placing her palm gently upon his chest. There she spoke softly with encouraging words to awaken and her efforts paid off, as within five minutes he stirred with a groan. "William!" she gasped.

"Oh sweetheart, I am so sorry," be begged in a daze.

"No, no, no, it is me who should be sorry, this is all my fault. I can see that now."

"Please, it is not your fault, the only people to blame are my blackguard of a cousin and his scheming mare."

"What do you mean, scheming mare?" Elizabeth said as she sat up.

"Darling, I found out yesterday morning just before breakfast that Rose had spun you a yarn about her past."

"A yarn? But how did you know what she said, did she come here again?"

"No, do not be angry with your maid, but Sophie had been listening at the door, during your interview with Miss Davenport, she was concerned at you being left alone with her, so was keeping guard. Well she heard what had exchanged between you and told me.

"I was livid, as I knew what she had told you was a lie. It had almost mirrored your own circumstances, or what could have been. I knew then that Richard had something to do with it. I discovered through the stable hands at Matlock house on my visit, that the colonel had travelled to Hertfordshire the previous day, and did not return until late and can only assume he found out about the entailment at Longbourn and your small dowry. He knew your father was in his sixties and thought up a story, that Rose could tell you to soften your opinion of her, before she persuaded you to part with the money. No doubt she would have suggested you give her the money, so she could do the arrangements. As soon as the funds were in her hands, she was going to give it to Richard."

"Oh William, and it nearly worked! I was going to try to set her up in business." she sobbed.

"Do not cry so, Lizzy, for anyone would have believed her, especially you for you are kind and sweet and wish to help where you can. I know her tale must have struck a chord with you, how would it not. But… Lizzy, she was never a gentleman's daughter. She is the bastard child of a tuppence upright whore, her father is unknown, no doubt one of the many patrons who frequented the alleyways, where her mother would service them.

"Over the years, her mother saved as much as she could, just to buy her daughter one single outfit, making her look presentable in society. As soon as she took her first lover in London, she was fixed as one of the mistresses that men would go to, when she became next available. She sends money back to her mother, who is now ill."

"But William, how could you take her as a mistress, if you knew all this?"

"I did not know at the time, I should have looked into her life and history, but as she had already been with several gentlemen of the ton, I thought she was fairly well thought of as a commendable mistress. When I found out her life's story last March, I broke the arrangement with her. I had already started to think that I needed to remove myself from her for reasons I have already explained to you, but the knowledge of her history made me even more determined to sever our connection, immediately.

"I told the viscount as soon as I found out he had taken up with her, but he already knew and her history was of little concern to him, for all he wanted was his release. I did not know about Felicity, as you know. I suppose he would not treat Rose any differently, as both women were from a lower class."

At that moment, the physician entered the room. "Sir, I understand that you have been in a rather nasty altercation. May I see the damage," he cheerfully asked.

Elizabeth stayed by her husband's side, holding his hand as the kind doctor stitched the wound. "It will leave a scar, Mr Darcy, there is no getting away from that."

"I do not care, for it will be worth it," he stated, knowing the injury brought his love back into his arms.

Dr Clark instructed Darcy to remain in bed for the rest of the day, but could take to sitting in the parlour the following morning. After taking his leave, the Darcys continued their talk.

"I am at your mercy again, can you forgive me once more for my poor behaviour?"

"Shh! Do not fret over what has passed," Elizabeth soothed, "You were angry, we both were... I realised that what I had done would have cut through you, as much as Richard's dagger had. I was a fool to have even entertained the idea of an interview with that woman."

"Your curiosity certainly does get the better of you," he chuckled, now more comfortable with how things were between them.

"I will try to curb my behaviour, William. I should have been a dutiful wife to you, but I went against your wishes and disobeyed you."

"You will not curb yourself, for I will not have you suppressed into submission for my benefit. I love your carefree nature and if you wish to be quizzical, then you can. I cannot stifle that which is natural to your character."

* * *

 **2nd October 1811**

Over the next week, Elizabeth did not leave his side. She would read to him from her many books and when he was tired, she would lay next to him, holding each other gently. The wound behaved itself and healed well, without infection setting in and Darcy's ardour was beginning to build once more. He was returning to his usual self, to Elizabeth's delight. However, she had to refuse him his comforts on a daily basis, for he was still weak from the blood loss and she did not wish to have him overexert himself.

"Lizzy, please, it has been a week now, I am strong enough to give you my love and I see you returned the cravat to the draw," he said, trying to persuade her into relations.

"No, the doctor said no overdoing it for at least a fortnight, you are not strong enough."

"Sit on me then, you do the work," he grinned.

"Mr Darcy! You are terrible. It will not hurt you to abstain for a further week. How did you cope when you were not being 'seen to'?"

Darcy laughed, as she knew full well that he had used his own palm. "You know how?"

"Oh lord, take pity on me," she sighed her resignation, this was a rhapsody to Darcy's ears.

She bid him to lay down on the bed, where she climbed upon him, straddling herself across his groin. The action was not drawn out and was rather utilitarian in its nature, compared to their usual love-making. Elizabeth knew that she had to act quickly, so that his body was not called upon for a long period of time. Darcy came quick, for he had been frustrated for several days and he did not want to prolong his agony any further.

As they both calmed, Lizzy chuckled to herself. "What is so funny?" Darcy breathed through his heaves.

"Your willpower, or lack of it, I should say."

"I cannot help it when I have my beautiful wife beside me, in our bed and is denying me herself."

"It was the doctor, not me who has denied you."

"Yes, but you went along with his plan, I am sure he did not mean that I could not enjoy your warmth for a fortnight."

"Do you wish to call him back and ask specific questions?" Elizabeth laughed.

"No, there is no need now, madam, for I have proved that with a little effort, I am able to be satisfied. So, you cannot shy away from your wifely duties now," he bellowed, laughter now filling the room.

"You have entrapped me in your web of deceit, now how should I punish you?"

"Please darling, no more punishments, I believe we have had enough of that for a while." Elizabeth looked forlorn at the reality of her words, for yes, he had been punished acutely and deserved no further ill treatment.


	21. A face full of Cold Cream

**4th October 1811**

It had been a little over a week and Darcy felt the need to see to business, for his lack of attention to estate matters whilst in Hertfordshire and London, played heavily on his mind. He had taken to his study, to at least sort out the accumulation of correspondence, which required his attention. Darcy took this opportunity, in one of his replies to Pemberley, to instruct Mrs Reynolds on a specific purchase he wished to make, hoping that this would be a pleasant surprise for his wife on their arrival home. He then had to chuckled to himself, at how the housekeeper would react to such a request, for she would surely think he had reverted back to his childhood.

As the master was finishing his final missive, he heard the familiar voice of his cousin in the corridor. Gladstone had refused him admission, only allowing him to enter as far as the doorway.

"What? You want all of them?" Richard gasped, surprised at the unusual request.

"Mr Darcy has instructed me to remove all weapons from your person, if you wish to see him I suggest you hand them to me for safe keeping. He has not refused you entry, but will only give you an audience on the condition that you are unarmed, sir."

Richard thought about it and complied. "Do not damage them, they cost me a pretty penny," he said with a huff.

He was shown into the study, where he spotted Darcy sitting at his desk, peering up at him with an incredulous expression upon his face. "Ah! Richard, I did not expect you to appear at my door so soon, considering the last time I saw you, you had stuck a knife into me."

"Sorry Darce, I know I was totally out of control. I do not know what came over me," Richard said, as an attempt to apologise and start the mammoth task of making amends. Darcy could see he was nervous, shifting from one foot to the other like a delinquent school boy, who had been caught breaking the rules and sent to the head of house.

"Sit," Darcy commanded, as he stood and took the seat opposite that offered to his cousin. As he got up, Richard noticed the sling that Darcy was still wearing. "How is the arm? Richard asked, as he sat. Not knowing what damage he had done, he hoped it was not extensive enough to hinder a full recovery.

"It is as good as it can be, having had a three inch blade penetrate it, you surely left your mark. What are you here for Richard, you know that I will not give you money."

"No, no money needed. That opportunity has now gone," he sighed.

"Good, she is unworthy of your attentions Richard, if only you knew," Darcy stated, not knowing whether to divulge his knowledge of her parentage.

"What? She was good enough for you, why not me?"

"If I had known where she came from when I took up with her, I would never had considered her as a mistress. Richard, do you know what her mother was?"

"No, she has told me nothing of her life prior to her coming to London, why?"

"She was born in Liverpool and her mother was a cheap whore, taking several men a night in alleyways around the docks."

Richard was stunned, "She gave uprights? Shit Darcy, why the hell did you not tell me this before, she could be diseased for all I know, I could have been infected, so could you!"

"She is not, she was seen by a physician in March, she is clean, well, she was clean back then. She did not perform such services as her mother, who is now ill. Details of her illness are, however, unknown. It does not take much intelligence to come to a believable conclusion as to what is wrong with her. The state of her health surely must be linked to her business and such conditions are regularly seen amongst those types of women as an hazard of the job."

"I think I need to get myself checked out, that's made me feel rather ill knowing she is not from good stock. Rose has now taken up with Sir Melbourne, I have not seen her since our scuffle last week and she has moved on without a word to me.

"I realise that I have in the past few years behaved abominably, my father will not talk to me, although I do believe he is letting me stew for a while and will eventually call for me… well I hope he will.

"How can I make it up to you and Elizabeth? My behaviour to you both, especially your wife, has been atrocious at the best of times. Is she here? I would like to extend my apologies to her in person."

"No, she is out with her maid. I do not wish for you to see her just yet, you have a lot of grovelling to do before that happens."

"I understand you fully, I wouldn't allow my wife to see me either. So is Elizabeth out spending all your money?" he chuckled.

"No, I do not think she could stop her thrifty tendencies, she will try and save money where she can. It only makes me more determined to lavish her with gifts. I already have a pair of pearl and diamond encrusted gold hair combs resembling flowers, being made for her."

"Rather extravagant of you."

"Not in the least, they will look rather fetching. The combs will remind me of our first meeting, she had meadow flowers in her hair," he smiled, remembering her peering down at him and his heart fluttering at the sight of her.

Bringing himself out of his thoughts, Darcy returned to the reason why Richard had called. "Richard, I would suggest you try and learn by your mistakes and you have made plenty over the past few years. I would suggest the first thing you do is think long and hard as to where you wish to be in ten years time. Do you want to settle with a family or carry on going to brothels and sewing your seed?"

"Father has said the same thing, many a time in the past. I think I need to have a good talk to myself, I cannot continue in this way, I will keel over before I am forty, or be killed in a drunken brawl… Thank you for seeing me cousin, it has put my mind at rest to see you are not at death's door."

* * *

"Only ten days left in London, will you miss it sweetheart?" Darcy asked as they lay in bed that night.

"I will and I wont. I love the city and what it holds, but the past few weeks have not been ideal, what with events…" she trailed off and looked at her husband. "I do not want to relive all those horrible feelings."

"Neither do I. I have decided to sell Darcy house straight away. When Georgie comes out we can stay in a hotel for some of the time and the remainder, when we have no engagements, we can live at the new house near Longbourn."

"You already have found somewhere? But when?"

"No, but I have had someone look at what is on offer and besides Netherfield, which Bingley already has, there is Hyde Park and Purvis Lodge. I have also heard that a piece of land, not far from where I fell, that is for sale," he beamed.

"The meadow?" Elizabeth gasped. She thought that such a beautiful spot. "But William, how can you build on such a place, a building will ruin it."

"Do not fret, the land also comes with an adjoining field, I wish to purchase both and build a house in the field, which will look over the meadows, I also plan to put in a small lake, well rather a pond on the field, which will embrace the meadow.

"If you wish, that will be the house that your mother can reside in when your father passes. It has already been mentioned in the settlement papers and if I arrange for the purchase and building work now, we can take advantage of it whilst in the area. I am sure your mother will not wish for us to stay anywhere else other than with her, once she is mistress of Meadows Cottage."

"Meadows Cottage, how delightful… Make sure the guest rooms are far away from the main bedchambers as possible," Elizabeth laughed, "and make sure there are plenty of rooms, for who knows how many children we shall have."

Darcy pulled her into his arms and held her close, "Oh Mrs Darcy, I would love to have at least half a dozen, three of each would be wonderful."

"Half a dozen? I am sure that can be arranged," she whispered as she leaned in and nipped his ear.

* * *

 **14th October 1811**

"I will not be sad to see the back of London," Elizabeth said, as they stepped into the carriage to take them to Longbourn.

"I've never known such a hectic month in town, I am glad we are leaving. I managed to secure the land in Hertfordshire, my darling. It was an easy bargain, it was a surprise to find that the land owner was Sir Lucas, of all people. He bit my steward's hand off when he said I wished to purchase it for our retreat in the south."

"I am so glad," Elizabeth beamed, "it is truly a wonderful spot to have as a home. Mother will be delighted with the prospect of living in such an beautiful setting."

"Do not say anything to her, I do not wish her to know. She will probably try and move in before time, or at the very least, demand things are done her way. Until she has to abandon Longbourn, it is our home. I will however, tell your father, as I feel this will put his mind at rest to some degree. Bingley has already said he will pay an allowance to your mother as part of his settlement, so she is well catered for."

The journey to Hertfordshire was a leisurely trip, as the Darcys had agreed to travel the day before the wedding and would stay two nights at Longbourn. On their arrival, late in the afternoon, Elizabeth spotted the whole family come out to greet them.

"Lizzy!" Jane cried. Elizabeth was almost in tears, as she watched all the family smile at her arrival. Looking over to her husband, he was as equally pleased to see them, or was it the smiles upon his wife's face, which urged his happiness?

"Oh sisters, mama, papa! How I have missed you all," she cried.

"There there, Lizzy, it has only been a little over the month, child. What will you be like when you are back in Derbyshire," Mr Bennet said, as he patted her on the shoulder.

As Darcy walked up to the party, Lydia worded her grief. "Mr Darcy, I am not happy with you one jot. Kitty gets a dress and I get nothing," she huffed.

"On the contrary, dear sister," Darcy smiled, "You will have your ball."

"What? Oh when? But why?" she said, now replacing her wrath with joy.

"So many questions, Lydia," Elizabeth laughed, "You wished for one, it was on your list, so we decided to have a ball at Christmas, everyone is invited to Pemberley and you must all stay a complete month."

"I will have to have a new gown, mama, just like Kitty's… only with less lace about the neck."

"You may have what you want, Liddie, but I do not want your bodice to be too low, you are only just sixteen and it is shameful for you to flaunt yourself in such a way."

"Oh mama!" Lydia huffed once more, quickly forgetting about the ball.

"Let us go in and I will show you your rooms," Mrs Bennet stated with vigour.

"Rooms?" Elizabeth gasped as she came to an abrupt standstill. Mrs Bennet looked around in puzzlement.

"Why yes child, rooms, I have put you both in the guest rooms. Do you think I will put you up in a cot in the parlour?" she laughed, not realising why Elizabeth was not happy.

"Do not worry, sweetheart, I will come to you once everyone is in bed."

"Do not make it too early, as I assume that Jane will want to talk," she whispered. "I will tie something to my door handle, just make sure you remove it when you come in, or someone may spot it in the morning and conclude the truth."

Dinner was very pleasant. Mr Bingley came to dine and a merry party was had. Darcy declined a wager with Bingley once more, as to who could drink the most port in one gulp. "Bingley, you have a rather small mouth, you will not win," Darcy laughed.

"I suppose your trap is rather big for your head, Darcy. I resign my cause to try and beat you at yet another unbeatable challenge."

"I will wager you, Darcy," Mr Bennet stated.

"No William, you will lose, father can gulp half a tankard at once," she begged.

"Nonsense. Pour out the port, Mr Bennet, let us see who wins," Darcy stated in a rather false sense of premature victory.

As it was, the older gentleman won the contest, making Mr Bingley laugh. "Ha! So someone is better at something than yourself. Do you also have hollow legs?" Mr Bennet gave out a roar of laughter, before settling back down into his comfortable chair.

As the evening drew on, the residents and guests made their way to their resting places. Mr Bingley had departed an hour previous and was already snoring on his pillow in his Netherfield bedchambers.

"Jane, are you worried still about tomorrow? I know you said you were only concerned about the pain, but I am sure Mr Bingley will be careful with your innocence."

"No, I am no longer concerned. Charles said that he will be very tender with me, although he has suggested we have a few drinks in our room before anything happens."

"Yes, get tipsy Jane, but not drunk. William and myself got drunk and the following day I felt awful. I seem to remember falling off the bed also, William jumped on top of me and we ended up making love again on the floor," she laughed.

"So what does it feel like?" Jane asked, eyes wide.

"I cannot describe it, Jane. It is so powerful that you feel as if you will die of pleasure when you hit a certain point. Do not worry about any noises you both make, they are part of the whole thing and you will find it very pleasurable hearing your husband groan."

"It seems very animal like, not gentlemanly at all!" Jane said worryingly.

"Well, we are animals are we not?" Elizabeth chuckled. "Now Jane, I feel that you need to retire, for you need your beauty sleep," Elizabeth urged, as she saw that it was nearly one o'clock.

"Yes, I am sure Charles will not wish for me to have dark circles under my eyes, when he says his vows."

* * *

One o'clock came and Darcy could not wait any longer. His yearning for his wife was great as he was unable to touch or kiss her the whole evening, as he would in their own home. As he made his way along the corridor, he found a red cravat tied to the handle of one of the doors, he chuckled to himself. He quietly turned the handle and walked into the room, where he set the candle down onto the side table. Climbing onto the bed, he softly beckoned his wife to awaken with terms of endearment, for he could see in the darkness that she had fallen to sleep. But as he spoke his words, he heard an ear piercing scream from the bed's occupant. Mrs Bennet quickly sat up and continued screaming at the trespasser.

"No! God! I am so sorry, Mrs Bennet, I thought… I thought this was Elizabeth's room," he cried out in a panic.

Mrs Bennet could not say a word, but carried on screaming as she pointed her finger at the door, for him to leave. She had grasped the neck to her nightgown in the hopes that he did not see her flesh. At that moment the door flew open and Mr Bennet and Elizabeth burst into the room. Mr Bennet looked at the occupants, a rather panic stricken Darcy and a very scared wife. This, however, had a rather odd reaction on Mr Bennet, for he could not help but laugh and bellowed loudly at the spectacle that had played out in front of him. This also made Elizabeth giggle at such a silly sight. Her mother was sitting up in bed in hysterics and her husband not knowing what to do, other than look concerned that he had been caught in his mother-in-law's bedchambers in the middle of the night.

The commotion was disrupted by the sound of snickering from the corridor. As everyone turned to where the sound was coming from, they spied Lydia standing behind them looking rather pleased with herself. "I moved your marker, Lizzy, I thought it would be rather fun to watch your husband go into the wrong room," she beamed.

"Lydia, that will not do!" Mr Bennet boomed, "Go to your room, now! I will see you in the morning."

Lydia's eyes widened, realising her little prank did not go down well. She returned to her bedchambers and did not make a sound until the next morning.

"Mr Darcy, I suggest you go back to Elizabeth's room. I am sorry we did not put you in a single room, I did tell Mrs Bennet, but she would have none of it." As Darcy left the room, he turned to Mr Bennet once more in order to apologise, but his gaze was greeted by a wink from the older gentleman.

Turning back to his wife, Mr Bennet closed and locked the door. All the events had put a spring in his step and he had other ideas now playing on his mind. "Francis, take off that cold cream and pull up your hem for me," he chirped.

"Lizzy, I feel such a fool. I told your mother I wished to kiss her fanny," he whispered, as they entered her rooms.

"Oh you did not! Oh how funny, what did mother say?" Elizabeth said, trying to not laugh at her husband's expense.

"She just screamed, I did not get a word out of her, she just made a screeching noise and pointed to the door, that is when you came in with your father. Does Lydia usually play tricks like that?"

"Yes, but that has topped all of her mischievous acts, by far. Father will reprimand her exceedingly for this. Now Mr Darcy, I understand you wish to kiss me?" she smiled.

* * *

The young couple were making love and in their own little world, when they heard noises coming from the next room, which so happened to be her mother's bedchambers. "What's that?" Darcy whispered, as he stopped his suckling of his wife's breast.

"Oh dear, that is mama's bed! Heaven forbid we have to endure the sound of them making love!"

"Your father is rather vigorous for a man in his sixties, I hope I am in the same health as him, when I reach that age," he beamed, as they listened to the increasing speed of the bed's complaint at its present use. "He is positively pounding into her!" Darcy snickered.

"No, I do not wish to hear it!" Elizabeth said now with her fingers in her ears. "La la la la la la la!"

"Lizzy?" Darcy said as he pulled a finger away, "that will not stop them, why should they not make love, there is still some life in them."

"I know, but it's not right. Mother has not entertained father for years."

"I doubt that is the case, I have noticed their gazes. Do you not notice it?"

"No, I only see him tease her and her get annoyed over it."

"Lover's banter, you mean. Do we not do the same thing and end up aroused because of it?"

"No!" Elizabeth said abruptly.

"Oh I beg to differ," he grinned. "For we are now bickering and my boy is so hard it will drill a hole in this mattress, if I am not careful," he laughed.

"Sh! William, be quiet, people will hear."

"I am sure they will, but we are husband and wife, are we not. Your father is doing to his wife, exactly what I wish to do to mine. I hope that you will entertain me in such a manner when I am that age, or do you anticipate on locking your door as soon as we reach six children?" he smirked.

"No William, you win, again," she laughed. Darcy saw this as an invite to re-establish their love making and in doing so, he nuzzled her bosom once more.


	22. Becoming Mrs Bingley

A/N

Glad you liked the humour in the last chapter, I seem to be a bit mischievous at the moment. (hence William's Heir one-shot, hope no one took offence to that heheh :)

Yes, bad Lydia, she will get her punishment soon. Mr B tells Darcy in this chapter, what he has planned.

Richard has to atone for what he has done, for sure.

Not poor Mrs B, for she is very happy in this chapte... wonder why? ;)

* * *

 **15th October 1811**

The warm autumn sun was filtering through the soft muslin curtains, that adorned the windows of the guest room, when Darcy wearily opened his eyes. Squinting at the dappled light that had blinded him, he turned to escape its unwelcome attentions. He sighed in contentment at the sight of the sleeping beauty beside him, her skin luminous as the same radiance that had annoyed him so, spread across her delicate skin. He could see she was dreaming and her gentle smile upon her face had him believe that it was something she would not wish to be awaken from. However, Darcy knew that he had to pop her cozy bubble, "Lizzy, sweetheart, are you going to wake for me? It is seven o'clock," he whispered, as he teased her from her sleep.

"Oh William, I was having such a wonderful dream," she murmured, "we were in the middle of the meadow, in front of a cottage and frolicking amongst the wild flowers," she sighed as she stretched out her limbs.

"What a heavenly thought, but you are being rather premature for the house has yet to be built," he chuckled.

"How long do you expect it will take? Do you suppose it will be ready by next summer? I would love to come here in the warmer months, when all the flowers are in bloom."

"I am sure we can arrange a trip. If I pay the men enough money, they will get it done by spring. I have the plans already drawn up."

"Oh, can I see? I would love to look at them," Elizabeth said in eagerness as she sat up.

Darcy was having none of it, for the little time they were to have together was not to be filled with looking over house plans. His hands gently wrapped around her shoulders and she was pulled back down and into his embrace. "Do not be so impatient my love, I will show them to you soon enough," he whispered as he nipped down the side of her neck.

The morning's enjoyment was less rushed than the previous night's. Darcy paid particular attention to his wife's needs and his own were rewarded in kind. "Oh Lizzy, I do believe that when I think your tongue cannot get any better acquainted with me, you prove me wrong," he hissed through his teeth, "Ah! That's it, right there!"

Darcy could sense his closeness and wished to have himself enveloped in the warmth of his wife. "Sit on me," he commanded as the rush was almost upon him. As she pushed herself down, Darcy instinctively pushed his hips upwards to meet her. "Oh dear god, Lizzy! What have I done to deserve you?" he cried out between his heavy heaves and groans of satisfaction. Elizabeth tried to hush him into silence, but it was to no avail, for he was too intoxicated and heady with love to even hear her admonishment. It took only a half dozen thrusts before he grabbed her into his arms, and whilst holding her close to him, he shuddered his completion on the final push.

"Mr Darcy, we will need to work on your volume control, you seem to be able to keep modest control in most things, but I am sure father and mother just heard you come."

"I was not that loud, was I?" he asked.

"I would not even put it past Mrs Hill hearing your declaration and she is probably in the kitchen, as we speak."

"Oh Lizzy, I am sorry," he chuckled. "Well, it is only to be expected of newlyweds, I am sure your mother is pleased that you are performing your wifely duties so well."

"Mr Darcy, you make our love-making sound like nothing more than a chore. That may very well be the case with other wives, but I have you know that I am as eager as you are for my quota of physical happiness that our marriage allows," she stated as she waggled her finger in front of his face, in mock annoyance. "I must admit that mama has already made me aware of her wish that I be with child by the end of the year, so she is thinking more of my duties to produce an heir, rather than keeping the present master happy in his conjugal demands."

"Well, she does not have to worry on either score. Darling, if I am honest, I would prefer to wait a while before a baby comes along, if at all possible. I may be selfish in my thoughts, but I would wish for nothing more than to have you to myself for a year, at the very least. However, if we do find ourselves expecting, then I will be the happiest of men, but do not see it as a failure if it does not happen immediately. We have decades ahead of us for a family. I know you will not let me down on that score, look at your mother, five children by the time she was… how old is she now?"

"She has just turned forty."

"So, she had Lydia when she was only four and twenty, to have five children at such a young age would surely mean that you have little to concern yourself about."

"I suppose, it is just that-"

"No, Lizzy, do not even worry about such matters, we have only been married two months… Now Mrs Darcy, I have a little something for you."

"You want to make love again?" she smiled salaciously.

"I would love to, but even my body has its limits," he shook his head in disbelief. "I have a gift for you." He rose from the bed and put on his robe, left the room and returned within a few minutes, carrying a small velvet case.

"Oh William, more jewels?" Elizabeth enquired, now worried that he was wasting his money on frivolities, when she had a vault full of expensive personal adornments.

"Well, it is something that I had made whilst in London. I know you have an abundance of jewels, but this is something specifically made for you. I hope you like them and recognise the meaning behind the gift."

As Elizabeth opened the box, the broad grin upon her face conveyed to Darcy that she was well aware of their significance. "The meadow flowers in my hair?" she asked.

"Yes, I thought it prettier than the locket you wanted, although I can have that made also, if you still want it."

"This is far prettier, do you wish me to wear them today?"

"Yes, I would love you to."

* * *

As the Darcy's made their way down to the breakfast room, Darcy saw Mr Bennet at the other end of the vestibule. Seeing him walk into his study, Darcy followed him to make yet another apology for the previous night's error. "Sir, can I say again how sorry I am for the misunderstanding."

"Do not apologise Darcy, for you did me a great favour," he chuckled.

"Oh yes?" he blushed on hearing his father- in-laws declaration. "I do hope Mrs Bennet was not too distraught and she settled quickly after I left."

"Yes, I managed to ease her concerns quite quickly. Having been married to the woman for three and twenty years, I am quite adapt at that… She did tell me what you said. I take my hat off to you, Darcy, for I was never able to accomplish that particular pleasure with my wife."

"Oh!" Darcy sounded shocked at such a declaration and was not sure what to say to that particular piece of information.

"When we first married, I dared not even attempt such an act, for she was rather nervous in the beginning. Then she warmed towards me and I was able to perform to a level in order to procreate, but our pleasures did not go beyond that. However, your words to her last night piqued her curiosity and she asked me what you meant… Well, I couldn't explain so had no choice other than to show her," he grinned. "To my surprise she woke me up in the middle of the night to repeat the act, stating she was still not quite sure of its meaning… Then again this morning."

Darcy stood in silence as his wife's father discussed their marital bed. He felt rather awkward to be having such a 'man chat' and knew he could not discuss his own experience with the man before him. Luckily, that particular subject was short lived when the the issue of Lydia and her punishment arose. "I have thought about the punishment Lydia should receive. As this also included a slight upon yourself, I think it only fitting that the sentense would be exclusion from the Christmas Ball at Pemberley. Now, I know that this may seem a very heavy punishment, but it will not be fulfilled, the punishment being that for the next two months, she is to believe she is not to attend," Mr Bennet said with a wink. "I cannot be mad at any of my daughters for long, but I can take delight in teasing her to the point of great chagrin. That will be punishment enough."

"She will surely be angry, for the ball was her idea. I do hope you will not leave her with the impression that she will not be welcome at Pemberley."

"No, I will say she is to stay upstairs during the evening and if she is lucky, she may watch from the landing," he laughed. "Mrs Bennet is yet to be told, I will hold out until we travel in December, unless she causes such tensions between us, then I will have to swear her to secrecy. Even though she cannot keep her mouth tight in most instances, she manages very well in not divulging anything of importance that I tell her, she knows not to disobey me."

* * *

Mr Bennet took the seat at the head of the breakfast table, where all the Bennet family were sitting in awkward silence. Elizabeth did not know if this was due to her husband's misdirections and subsequent error, or the noises emitted from either her parents room or her own chambers, it could even be the impending wedding that had everyone on edge. Whatever the reason, she blushed and her mother continued to give her father such salacious looks across the table, that Elizabeth was nearly put off of her toast and preserves.

After they had eaten, Darcy took his leave in order to ensure Mr Bingley had not died of nerves before the ceremony. Jane urged Elizabeth to her room, in order to assist her in readying for the wedding.

"What was all that noise last night, Lizzy?" Jane asked, as she sat at the dressing table, whilst her sister brushed her hair.

"I was about to make my way out to see what was going on, when I saw Lydia return to her bedchambers, she looked rather agitated. She urged me to go back to bed, so I did."

"Oh, something and nothing, mother was having one of her moments."

"I did wonder, for it sounded like mother. She seems fine this morning, maybe a little quiet and she keeps eyeing papa."

"Yes, I am sure she is well now… So Jane, it will not be long before you bear the name Mrs Bingley," she smiled down at her sister, who was returning her happiness through the reflection of the mirror.

"I cannot wait, All of my belongings were taken to Netherfield Hall yesterday, so I am almost in residence. I hope I make Charles a good wife and he is happy with me."

"I am sure you will, for you know how to run a household, you have often done it when mama is having one of her turns. Mr Bingley also has had a taste of your other duties, he did not think that disagreeable?"

 _Taste? Oh yes he has had a taste,_ Jane thought.

"All I will say, Jane, is that whatever happens behind your bedchambers doors is acceptable, regardless of how wanton it may seem, remember you will no longer be a maiden, but a wife. To begin with I would suggest you allow your husband to direct you tonight, for he will know what to do."

"I have already had that from mother, although her words were, 'lay there and let him have his way with you,' which I nearly burst out laughing at. I know I should not say this, but she is such a prude."

"Maybe it was different in those days, or maybe we are too wayward in our thoughts. Papa certainly made sure we were knowledgable of the conjugal duties that lay ahead of us… I do not think Mr Bingley will mind in the least at your eventual forwardness, but as I said, let him take the lead for at least tonight."

As they continued to ready Jane for her marriage, Elizabeth could not help but ask if Caroline Bingley was to attend. "No she is not invited. I understand from Charles that she has remained in London and is paying particular attentions to Lord Percy."

"Lord Percy? I have heard of him," Elizabeth said.

"I understand she took a particular liking to the man last year. He had paid her some attentions, but she ignored them in favour of William. Now that he is married to you, she has renewed her attentions towards the peer."

"I wonder if she expects marriage, I have heard he has a string of mistresses, he keeps several at a time and beds them very often. Do you think Caroline will tolerate that?" Elizabeth asked.

"Doubt she will have little choice, she will probably welcome the circumstances as it will mean he will not be troubling her so much. Remember she is greedy for a higher status in life, not love."

" _All I can say is good luck to her, let us hope she does not end up miserable,_ " Elizabeth chuckled.

"Lizzy, you are terrible, but I understand why you said it," Jane grinned.

* * *

As they entered the church, all eyes were on Jane, who was holding tightly onto her father's arm, as they walked the length of the church to where the groom stood. Her presence filled the room and Mr Bingley could just manage to stay standing, for he was so taken with her beauty, that his breathing altered and he nearly fainted on the spot. Darcy stood beside his friend, but only had eyes for his wife, who was standing next to her sister. Darcy could see the jewelled flowers in her hair, which sparkled in the light coming in from the stain glass windows, sighing his appreciation of having such a wonderful partner to share his life with.

The ceremony was well attended, as Jane and Mr Bingley declared themselves to each other. The Hursts and Aunt and Uncle Gardiner had travelled from London and several relatives had visited from Scarborough. The absence of Caroline Bingley was noticed, but not heartily felt and Mr Bingley was glad that she had not taken it upon herself to attend. The kiss to seal their love was tender, but chaste, as Mr Bingley had to pull himself away from his wife's lips, before he lost himself in her allurement. He wished for nothing more than to sweep her up into his arms and head directly to his bedchambers at Netherfield Hall.

As the whole party made their way on foot to the great house for the wedding breakfast, Darcy could not help but steal a kiss from his wife. "William, we will be seen!" Elizabeth attempted to chastise him, but could not help but smile as he continued with his show of public affection.

"I do not care, I want everyone to see how much I love my wife. Does she not wish for my attentions?" he asked softly.

Knowing that he was teasing her, she only replied with a deep passionate kiss of her own. "Now let's see what people make of that, a wife taking the initiative in such a display of wantonness in full view of everyone, is unpardonable," she said salaciously.

"Put him down, Mrs Darcy," came a man's voice from across the lane.

"Uncle!" Elizabeth smiled, as both Mr and Mrs Gardiner made their way over to the couple.

"I see that you are still inseparable. How is married life?" Aunt Gardiner asked.

"Exceedingly well, we return to Pemberley in the morning, I cannot say how happy I am to be going home," Elizabeth said and on that statement, she noticed her husband's look of surprise. "Why does that shock you so?"

"It does not shock me, just that you stated we are going home." It just sounded so… right."

"Well it is, is it not? I would much prefer Derbyshire to London."

"Ah! I had heard that you are thinking of selling your home in London," uncle Gardiner said.

"Yes, I think I have outgrown London, we have decided to build a house in Hertfordshire, not far from here actually. Keep it to yourself though, as I do not wish for anyone to know just yet."

"You can be assured, your secret is safe with me," uncle Gardiner said as he tapped his nose.

* * *

As the meal progressed, Bingley began to fidget. "What is the matter, Charles? You look like you have an itch," Jane asked.

"My member wont go down, it's been up since this morning and I had to strap it to my stomach, so it would not show, now I feel that I may very well soil myself," he worried.

"Maybe we should disappear for a few minutes, so we can sort you out?" Jane suggested.

"I would love to, but I want that for tonight… No, I will just have to bear it a while longer."

"Maybe I can assist you with your release then… in another way?" she asked, licking her lips. Mr Bingley did not miss this little gesture she had made, and impatiently beckoned her to retreat to the mistresses rooms after the meal, in order to change for the ball. He would follow her up after a few minutes, stating he also had to change out of his fine regalia, for it was too starched to dance in.

Jane was waiting patiently for her husband to enter, she had removed her dress with the assistance of a maid, but had released her from duties, saying she wished to take a half an hour nap before the ball commenced. As she lay on the bed, she heard a faint tap on the door and Bingley's head appeared. "Can I come in?" he softly asked.

"Of course, there is no-one here but me."

Bingley quickly came into the room and locked the door. "I am sorry Jane, I cannot cope with this much longer," he stated as he frantically unfastened his breeches and pulled them down about his thigh. Jane just sat watching her husband desperately unwind the many bandages he had placed around himself, in order to ensure his hardened cock stayed flat against his body. As he finished struggling out of the lengths of fabric, his boy sprung out from his middle and he breathed a sigh of relief.

Jane had already moved to face her husband and had fallen down onto her knees. Taking the phallus into her hands, she commenced licking its length. "Good Grief! Are you going to suck me?" Mr Bingley growled, but Jane could not answer, for she had already taken him into her mouth and was swirling her tongue around the tip, where she paid particular attention to the underside. Jane discovered that this action proved to be very welcome, for her husband had fallen back against the wall and both of his hands were now placed either side of her head, where he guided her movements. Moaning and hissing his reaction on every thrust, he was just able to warn her of his impending release, "I am going to complete, Jane. If you do not want me in your mouth, I suggest you retreat to a safe distance." Jane, however, wanted him to expel into her mouth, as she knew that men liked to see their wives swallow.

Bingley collapsed onto his knees, where he came face to face with his wife. "Dear lord! I have married God's messenger, who has been sent down from the heavens above to make my life positively perfect?"

Jane giggled at his declaration, for he had come undone in her hands, or should that be her mouth. "I am hoping Charles, that you return the favour tonight, for I can feel my honeypot is most definitely overflowing with nectar."

"God I want you now, how can my boy stand to attention again, so soon?"

"No, you cannot have me, you will have to wait," she laughed.

"Are you teasing me?"

"Yes."

"Wait until I get you alone later, I will not let you go until we are both fully exhausted and on the verge of collapse."

"I take that as a challenge and will hold you to that, for I would not wish for anything less. Now… Mr Bingley, this wife of yours requires that you dress and make your way to your own rooms in order to change. We need to go back downstairs, before people wonder where the bride and groom have gone." Mr Bingley reluctantly retreated to his own bedchambers, in order to relieve himself again by his own hand.

As the evening drew to a close, the Bennets and Darcys made their way back to Longbourn, leaving a rather inebriated Mr and Mrs Bingley to start married life together. The Hursts and other guests made their own way back home, and those who lived a distance, had taken up temporary residence at the local inn, for Mr Bingley wished for his house to be empty of visitors on their first night together.

As Mr Bingley knocked upon his wife's door, his nerves made an unexpected appearance. He had taken mistresses before, plenty enough to ensure that he was not bashful on any encounter with a new lover. However, as he stood in the adjoining sitting room between the two bedchambers, he felt his heart start to pound in his chest.

The door opened and he inhaled sharply, he saw before him his wife wearing nothing more than a smile upon her face. Mr Bingley could not keep his eyes fixed to hers and his gaze wandered down the length of her naked body and he had to hold onto the door for support. Jane came forward a single step and grabbed both of her husband's hands and led him back into her room.

"Jane, I did not expect-"

"Sh! Do not speak a word, just make me yours."

"Oh Jane," he declared softly, as he guided her back to the bed, where he lay his wife down before him. Standing above her, he took off his robe and stood there before her as naked as she. He watched as she submitted and invited him to take her by exhibiting a most desirable act… by opening her legs. "You do not know what you mean to me, you are my one and only treasure."

"Charles, you mean to me, as I do to you. There is no other love than comes close to the love I have for you."

As he promised, Mr Bingley was tender and Jane felt some discomfort, but the small amount of pain she experienced was worth the pleasure that took over her body. Sated after a night of love-making, the newlyweds fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

Longbourn was also experiencing its fair amount of love, for Mr Bennet once more had taken to his wife's bedchambers, to his delight and Elizabeth's horror. "My lord! William, they are at it again!" she surmised, as she heard her mother's giggling.

"I think that they are acting like newlyweds again Lizzy, do you not think it wonderful? Tonight is surely a time for love," he stated, as he bent down to kiss his wife.

Elizabeth returned the kiss, but groaned into his mouth when she felt her husband's member rub against her entrance, teasing her fanny of its presence until her core had proven its arousal, through the wetness upon his cock. As he eased into her from a kneeling position, a low groan emitted from deep within his throat, this followed with an assault on her person so vigorous that she was worried the bed would collapse. As she pulsed around his aching boy, Elizabeth cried out her release, but was stifled by her husband's mouth, which came down upon hers and so absorbing her reaction.

As they lay in bed, Elizabeth thought of all the things that had happened in the past three months, since she had found her husband's unconscious body. "Do you think you would have ever found me, if it weren't for the hip flask?" she asked as they lay, relaxed and content.

"Of course I would, I had even considered on knocking on every door within five miles of where I fell."

"It would not have taken you long, for we are the closest house after Netherfield Hall. I cannot believe how things have changed so much in the past three months, it seems almost a lifetime ago."

"No, not a lifetime, for we have that ahead of us, darling," Darcy softly said as he pulled her into his arms. "Now Mrs Darcy, I think we need to get some sleep, for we will be leaving for Pemberley, early in the morning."


	23. Homeward Bound

**16th October 1811**

Darcy had already preceded his wife to the breakfast table as Betsy had yet to finish her hair, and when she was preened to perfection, she made her way to break her fast with her husband. As Elizabeth reached the bottom step, she heard raised voices coming from her father's study. Moving closer to the door, she could distinctly hear her father and Lydia in a heated discussion.

"That is just not fair, papa. It was only a joke," Lydia huffed. Elizabeth could hear the annoyance in her sister's voice and quickly deduced from the words being spoken, that her father had given her a lecture on the shortcomings of her prank from two nights previous.

"It was not a very good joke, people are supposed to laugh at those and I did not see anything of the kind. _Did you see your mother laughing?_ She was hysterical, Lydia, do you wish to see your mother in such a state?"

"No of course not, I didn't think she would react so… but papa, to stop me from going to a Ball that was supposed to be for me, is rather brutal of you. Does William know? I am sure he would not take the same direction on my sentense as you have."

"Yes he knows, he has left it to me to decide my daughter's punishment."

"So I cannot go to Pemberley with you all in December?" She now whispered, her voice trembling as she tried to stay off her tears, which were now threatening to escape.

"Child, I am telling you that you cannot go to the ball, it does not follow that you are not to visit Pemberley. Of course you will be a guest, like the rest of us. You just have to go to bed early on the night in question."

Elizabeth had heard enough and entered the breakfast room, where her husband and Mary were discussing music. "So you practice four hours a day, that is a very dedicated musician, if ever I saw."

"Once I start to play, the time just flows quickly, so much so that I do not realise it has been hours since I started. It is not until mama comes to me and tells me to stop, due to wishing for peace."

"I encourage Elizabeth to play daily, but I feel once my sister returns from school, they will fight over the instrument in the music room. I understand that to be the case, here at Longbourn," he grinned.

"Oh," Mary blushed "Yes, I do tend to monopolize it. I should not be so greedy."

"I am sure if you were being so, your sister would have had a word in your ear. I do not think Elizabeth would care for you to stop what you love doing, just on account of her wishing to practice at that particular time of day. There are plenty enough hours in the day for her to have her tur-"

"William, father has just told Lydia she cannot attend the ball, were you aware of this?" she said in a rush as she sat down beside him. She did not realise that she had disturbed an already fluent discussion on musical instruments, but Mary did not mind, as she could see her sister agitated on entering the room.

"Yes, he told me yesterday. I will tell you more later," he said as he could not divulge the true punishment in front of Mary.

Elizabeth wished to question him further, but knew to keep quiet. As they ate a light breakfast, the door to the breakfast room abruptly opened and Lydia stormed in. "William, can you talk to papa, he says I cannot go to your Ball."

"As much as I would want you there, I will not attempt to sway your father's decision. You are his daughter, not mine and he has carte blanche over your upbringing, not I."

"But, you can sway his decision, I know you can," she whined as she stamped her foot in frustration, this did not go unnoticed.

"I am sure I can, but I will not. I think you have been given a lean punishment for your silly prank, I would have stopped your pin money for a whole year if you were my daughter." At this Elizabeth spluttered her milk, resulting in a choking frenzy. "Are you alright, Lizzy," Darcy smirked as he tapped her on the back. Elizabeth just raised her brow in response, "Do not look at me like that, wife, you know I will be strict with our daughters and even more so with the boys."

"Ha! Lizzy, you have your work cut out there! I bet you will be giving them pin money behind his back, in order to soften the blow," Lydia laughed.

"I will do nothing of the kind. If my husband wishes to punish our children in such a way, then they will be punished in that way. You will realise that when you eventually marry, that the man is the head of the household," Elizabeth replied.

"And how in the world am I suppose to do that, when I can't even go to a Ball to meet a beau!" she said as she stormed out the room and up to her mother's bedchambers, hoping to effect an ally in her dear mama. Mary knew that her presence would eventually be needed, so followed her sister up the stairs, as it was likely she would be needed to ease her mother's nerves.

"Do not worry, Elizabeth, I would not punish our children in such a harsh way, maybe a month's allowance."

"I do not mind, for you are intelligent enough to make a wise decision. So long as you do not rely on physical reprimand, I do not mind how harsh their sentence is, but I will not have them beaten."

"I will never raise my hand to them. Uncle used to do that to Richard and James, taking the cane to them when he felt the need. Look how Richard turned out, James is not that much better, but at least he keeps his antics private and does not bring it to anyone's door. Richard on the other hand rebelled against his father's viciousness and has been out of control since. Hopefully he is atoning for his recent behaviour."

"How so?"

"I received a note before we left London, telling me that he was going to a place in Scotland to do his penance. Apparently, it is where he is supposed to find himself. Not sure who he will find, but he can't be any worse than the Richard we have at the moment."

"What sort of place is that?" Elizabeth asked in puzzlement.

"I don't know, but he said something about going back to basic life and working the land. He said there are no women around for miles, so he will feel that acutely, but it will be a test for him and show us how serious he is about changing for the good. I doubt it will be for long, he will be called back on duty within the month."

"Unless he has sold his commission? Do you think that possible?"

"Maybe, or it is more than likely his father has pulled a few favours and got him extended leave. Uncle is very influencial when he wants to be and maybe he sees this as his son's cry for help."

"I can only hope he comes back a better man," Elizabeth sighed. "I do hope he takes this seriously."

"So do I, Lizzy, for all our sakes."

* * *

Darcy wished to speak with Mr Bennet just before they were to leave for home. He had already given him a copy of the settlement papers when they arrived, but had yet to disclose the construction of the impending property, which would be built less than a mile away. "Sir, may we speak with you before our departure?" Darcy asked as both he and Elizabeth came into the study.

"Of course, I am not doing anything of great importance," he stated as he placed his quill beside the ledger he had been working on.

Darcy and Elizabeth both took a seat on the small settee. "Although I have mentioned in the settlement papers about the property for Mrs Bennet and any unmarried daughters, I have not told you that I have already started the process of acquiring such a property."

Mr Bennet's brow raised somewhat in shock, _"_ _I do not think I am likely to croak my last breath yet, Darcy. I hope to have a few more years left in me."_

"Do forgive me, I did not mean to imply… let me explain my thoughts.

"I have managed to purchase a piece of land close by and will commence building next month. It will initially be a home for myself and Elizabeth when we are in the south, as I have decided to sell my London townhouse. The new property will be our home when we visit or if we are to attend events in town, as it is close enough for us to attend functions and return the next day, after staying in a hotel overnight. This will eventually be the property that Mrs Bennet will reside in, for I cannot see that we will be staying more than three months in the year and it will suit her perfectly. Eventually, Mrs Bennet will be mistress, under a lifelong interest and we will stay as guests, when we are to venture south. Until then, it will be our home."

"So, where is this land?"

"Papa, that is the best part, it is the stretch of land, just before Oakham Mount, where the meadow is. William purchased it from Sir Lucas and he also managed to secure the adjoining field, where the house will be built, it will overlook the meadow."

"That is a very beautiful spot. I am sure she will be very happy there?"

"I hope she will. The house will not be dissimilar in size to this property. There will be a family wing and a separate guest wing, so that when we stay after your wife is mistress, we can both have privacy. It is likely there will be more than just myself and Elizabeth, so we need to ensure that there are at least five guest rooms and as many family rooms."

"Ten bedchambers, that is a lot. We only have seven at Longbourn, do you think they will all be needed?" Mr Bennet asked.

"I was thinking of when there are family gatherings. If we were to visit and also one of your other daughters and their family, the property will soon fill. It does not cost a great deal more to have these extra rooms built at the time of the main construction. There will also be a smaller outbuilding at the back with enough room for three servants. I do not expect more than three are needed as that seems to be what you have now and there were seven of you."

"You seem to have this all figured out, Darcy. I take my hat off to you."

"Elizabeth and I discussed this whilst in London. The last month has made me realise how much I despise town and only tolerated it. Now that I have Lizzy by my side and know her roots lie here in Hertfordshire, it only seemed natural to move to a more rural setting, close to her family. Then it only followed that this could also be your wife's home, when the time came.

"One thing though, Mr Bennet, I do not wish for Mrs Bennet to know about any of this. Whilst it is our home, she is only to believe the property was built solely for our enjoyment."

"Ah, you do not wish for interference from my wife," he laughed, "I can understand you fully. If she were to know, you would not have any peace, until she had the exact colour paint she wanted in the mistresses suite." Darcy smiled, thankful that Mr Bennet could see the advantage of keeping Mrs Bennet in the dark.

* * *

As the family gathered outside to say their farewells, Elizabeth felt Lydia's non-appearance exceedingly. She gazed up at the window to her bedchambers and saw a sorrowful looking sister sitting on the windowsill, watching them as they took their leave. Elizabeth waved her down and Lydia shook her head in refusal, but as Darcy looked up and attempted to persuade her to come down, she relinquished her sulking and joined the group. Walking out into the open, she ran into Darcy's arms and asked for forgiveness for her behaviour earlier that morning. She knew she should not have tried to persuade her new brother to try and talk her father around, and stamping her foot in front of him was not called for. Darcy was taken aback by her request for forgiveness and patted her awkwardly on the shoulder, telling her he had already forgotten it. Elizabeth could see how difficult her husband found this and pulled Lydia away from him, by wishing to give her a farewell hug.

As they distanced themselves from Hertfordshire, Elizabeth let out a sigh. "Are you sad to go?" Darcy asked.

"Yes and no. I will miss them terribly, but I long for our life at Pemberley. I do hope that Lydia comes to terms with father's decision and she does not cause too much trouble at home."

"Ah!" Darcy exclaimed. "Your father will let Lydia attend the ball, but she is not to know. The punishment was to be that she would be led to believe that to be the case, until closer to the time," he smiled.

"So, there is no sentense, other than believing the sentense itself?" Elizabeth said, furrowing her brow in confusion.

"Yes, that sums it up about right," he laughed. "Lydia will be her own judge and jury by allowing herself to become self-absorbed in the whole matter. If she was able to forget the whole episode, then there would be no forfeiture."

Elizabeth laughed at what her father had done. "He did that to me once, I used to run in the house and eventually I knocked over mother's favourite teapot and it smashed on the floor. It was a month before Charlotte's birthday and he refused me to attend her party. I sulked for almost a month, only to be told the day before that he never intended for me to miss it. Lydia would not remember this, for I was only ten at the time and Lydia must have been about five."

* * *

 **19th October 1811**

It took a leisurely four days to reach Pemberley, having stopped at certain towns along the way, in order to see what the small communities had to offer. As they travelled through the gatehouse to the estate, Elizabeth let out a content sigh. "Glad to be back on home territory?" Darcy asked.

"Yes, exceedingly," she said as she gazed out the window at the unfurling land before her, but it was not long before Darcy was urging her to move away from the window and close her eyes. "What is it?" she asked, excited at the surprise he had obviously planned.

"You will see, well you might hear first," he chuckled to himself.

As they arrived at the main grounds, Darcy spotted the lake in the distance, with several ducks upon it. He also could see a trail of smaller birds following the head of the family, as they swam about the lake. To one side, he was happy to see that Mrs Reynolds had taken his request to the exact detail and had the local carpenter at Lambton build a small wooden house for the birds, which sat upon the lake.

"William! Are those ducks I can hear?" she gasped, "Please can I open my eyes?"

The carriage had pulled to a stop outside the house and Darcy insisted that she open her eyes. They walked towards the lake, where Elizabeth saw at least a dozen birds, most of which were small fluffy ducklings, eager to follow their mothers around. One particular duck found courage in walking up to the human, who had wondered onto her territory. "That one is called Lizzy," Darcy stated.

"You have given them names? Why is this one my name-sake?"

"It is the prettiest out of the bunch and you are the prettiest also," he stated as he moved to kiss her tenderly. "Welcome home, Mrs Darcy."

"Welcome home, Mr Darcy," she whispered in return.

* * *

 **28th November 1811 - 6 weeks later.**

"What amuses you , my love?" Darcy asked on hearing his wife chuckle at her missive, whilst sat at the settee in the study.

"Mama, she has put her frustrations onto paper, our cousin from Kent has apparently made a visit and he outstayed his welcome."

"How so?" Darcy asked, intrigued at what her mother had to say.

"I will read it out, as it is all too silly and you have to have listen to it in its entirety." She sat back and began to read the letter aloud.

...

...

"Dear Lizzy

"I do not know where to begin, for this house is in uproar.

"Last week, your father saw fit to divulge to me that his cousin, Mr William Collins, was to pay us a visit, even though he had received the letter of his intent the month prior to his arrival. Your dear papa gave me not more than a few hours notice on the matter, which caused a stir amongst the household, I can assure you. My nerves were in tatters and I could do nothing more than to take myself to my rooms with a bottle of smelling salts for at least an hour.

"Needless to say, the man arrived promptly at four o'clock on Monday afternoon. He was not what I had in mind, although I do not know what I had expected. He is a parson and rather tall for the job, I am sure he would hit his head on something or another, when he enters the Pulpit each Sunday morning. He was polite enough when he arrived, maybe overly polite and with that came a degree of self satisfaction that could only be described as irksome. Luckily, his intent was to stay only a matter of twelve days in full, as his patron, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, wished for his return as she did not allow him more than one Sunday away from his parishioners.

"He had only been here for a matter of a few days, when he began to find fault with the running of my house, hoping his little detailed corrections would be taken aboard. He even had the nerve to tell me that he was pleased that the estate could afford to keep a cook!

"I do not like the man, Lizzy, and even more so as he had taken it upon himself to offer marriage to one of your sisters. I do not think that I could bear it, to see any of my daughters so hastily married off in order to keep the estate in the family, even if it meant that one of them would become mistress. My mind was made up and he was not allowed to wed any of them. At least now that you and Jane have made such advantageous marriages and both your husbands will be very generous after your father leaves this earth, I do not need to rush into any decisions in relation to the rest of my daughters, and to have any of them married to this man, would be abhorrent.

"The nerve of the man, when he had wished for a private audience with me in order to arrange an interview with Lydia. Hoping that she would make him the best wife of the three remaining daughters. He did stipulate that as she was young, he would be able to mould her into a decent enough wife. At this I could not hold my tongue, how dare he wish to alter someone's character to suit himself. I told him he could not have an audience with Lydia, nor with any of my other daughters for that matter. He did not take to this information kindly and left the house in order to pay respects to Sir Lucas.

"Whilst he was away from Longbourn, I took the opportunity to tell your father and on Mr Collins return, he stated that he would be leaving earlier than planned and would not be returning to Hertfordshire, until it was time to take up residence in this house. At this, your father threw him out, telling him his trunks would follow.

"I hope that I never see that man again. Let us wish that he be run over by a carte and flattened, before your dear papa leaves us for good.

"I must end this letter, for your father is calling me from his bedchambers, as he needs assistance in a certain matter.

"I will see you in less than a week, my dear daughter, when we reach your door. We are all looking forward to the visit and your father is particularly looking forward to your library."

...

...

"Good Grief! Mr Collins is my aunt's Rector, he lives in Hunsford and only a stone's throw from my aunt's estate. Lady Catherine de Bourgh is my mother's sister and I visit her each spring, in order to check the estate ledgers."

"Have you met the man then? By my mother's account he seems a very annoying individual."

"He is amiable enough. Maybe overly so, which could be seen as irritating to most and his sermons can be rather tedious and lengthy. However, in light of his position in your families lives, I can imagine your parents are somewhat vexed at him having descended upon them for nearly a fortnight, and in that time behave so… arrogant and… presumptuous. To my aunt and her family, he is more than able to grovel. He fawns and flatters his way through conversation and I have found his demeanour, on more than one occasion, almost vomit inducing."

"Oh dear, that means that I am likely to meet the man," Elizabeth sighed.

"Yes, there is no getting away with it. I go to my aunt's for a fortnight in the Spring, but I am not sure she will welcome you into her house, for I have yet to tell her of our marriage and she lives in such a location, that she does not get to hear all that is happening in town."

"Is she likely to object to our union?" Elizabeth inquired.

"Yes, for she wished that I wed her daughter, Anne. Lizzy, before you react, I must say that I had no intent in doing so and have told her numerous times, but she does not listen to things she does not wish to hear."

"But there is nothing she can do about it now, surely she will have to accept me."

"Ha! You do not know my aunt, Lizzy. She will insist I divorce you or obtain a declaration of nullity."

"But, she cannot do that!"

"No she cannot, but she may try. The marriage is tight as can be. The only issue was that your uncle gave his consent rather than your father, but I have his letter on file, it has been locked away in my desk draw."

"You kept it, knowing your aunt may attempt something?" Elizabeth murmured, trying to keep her tears at bay.

"Lizzy, I am sorry I did not tell you, but I did not think it would have made any difference. A slight chance that she may attempt to do something she has no right to try, would not sway me from having you as my wife. The idea of me being betrothed to her daughter is nonsense. She concocted the idea after mother had passed, saying that her sister had agreed to it. Seems a coincidence that the story only came about, after the other party was unable to confirm its validity."

"That is terrible, she used your mother's passing to suit her needs. How can such a woman look at her own reflection without an ounce of guilt looking back at her."

"She is a hardened woman, Lizzy. I am sure she was not always like that, but she is stubborn in her ways now, that no-one will say a word against her… well not until now."


	24. Pemberley Ball - Part 1

**A/N**

Thanks for reviews, follows, favs :)

YAY! this is now officially my longest story. :D

Some of you did not like the idea of Darcy house being sold off, so I have altered the story slightly so that Darcy keeps it for the time being. My thoughts were that he wanted to rid himself of town society and travel to and from Meadows Cottage, but even Georgiana is not happy with that. I have therefore altered it slightly to allow for the house to remain in the Darcy family, until at least Georgiana's marriage/majority.

Elize115 - sorry you do not like this Richard, I did struggle with the idea of it to begin with, but as Wickham is a "good chap" I had to have some sort of cad to fill his boots, Richard seemed the obvious choice. Hopefully he is atoning as we speak and will come back a changed man.

Nesciamema - the entail stays put, but there is another way around, you will see at the end of this chapter :)

Eliabeth-Mary-stark - I thought about the sole head taking charge, but in those days, I believe it was the norm. Nowadays, we would not think of having such a male dominance in the family (My own mother was the one to do the punishments in our house which comprised of "Get up them stairs to your room!" where we stayed for a duration to think about what we had done, an early form of the naughty step I suppose. (1970's)

Avanell - read on :D

If I have accidentally called Mrs Bennet, Connie/Constance in this chapter, please point it out. I am also starting the next story, where she is called Connie, and got a bit confused, I think I have removed them all now, but one may have slipped through.

* * *

 **30th November 1811**

Elizabeth was uncharacteristically nervous, for today would be the day that her new sister would return from school, for the Christmas holidays. Darcy had written to her throughout the previous months and even Elizabeth, herself, had put a note or two in with his correspondence. However, now that she was to meet the younger Darcy in person, she felt her nerves increase.

"Lizzy, you need to stop pacing the room and sit down. Your walking back and forth is doing nothing other than wear my carpet out," he stated as he took her hands and led her to the settee, where they sat.

"What if she does not like me? What if I am a disappointment to her?"

"She will love you as much as I. Well… maybe not quite, for I doubt anyone could love you as much as that," he chuckled.

"Sir, the boy has just spotted Miss Darcy's carriage pass the gatehouse," Mrs Reynolds advised.

"Thank you, Mrs Reynolds, we will be out shortly," he stated and the housekeeper left to continue her duties. "Now Lizzy, come meet your sister," he smiled.

As they stood outside the main entrance, Elizabeth felt her legs go weak, "William, please can you take my arm, for I feel in need of support."

"Are you going to faint? Lizzy, your breathing is rather rapid, try and slow it down and take deeper breaths."

Darcy was concerned with his wife, who at that time had turned rather pale, when Georgiana's carriage came to a stand before them. Looking up, Darcy spotted his sister's face at the window. "Georgie!" he cried out as he brought himself and his wife to the carriage door.

"Brother, sister!" she called in an equally enthusiastic manner.

Darcy could see that Elizabeth was still out of sorts and gently persuaded her to allow him into assisting Georgiana down from the vehicle. "Sister, Elizabeth is rather nervous, so may seem rather quiet at present," he whispered into her ear. Elizabeth did not notice, as she was trying to gather her courage together in order to stay upright. _I must not faint, I must not faint, she is only a young lady_ _…_ _But she is William's sister! Why am I so nervous?_ She thought and another flood of panic hit her hard.

Georgiana, who was now standing firm on Pemberley soil, could see Elizabeth's anxiety and took a bold move to ease her discomfort. She took her into her arms and gave her a warm hug, just as her brother did her when she felt not herself. "Lizzy… May I call you Lizzy? I am so happy to finally meet you. You have no idea how long I have wanted a sister," she grinned. This put Elizabeth at ease, more so than her husband's attempts.

Breathing out a few long breaths, she managed to calm herself. "I am sorry, Miss Darcy-"

"Georgiana, please. Or even Georgie, which I prefer."

"Georgie…" Elizabeth said for the first time, trying out the name upon her lips. "I am sorry, I am such a fool to be so uneasy. I do not usually act in such a way."

"I feel it is the anticipation of it all. If we had met at the beginning of your acquaintance with William, it would not be so bad. Just see me as one of your younger sisters."

"Oh I could not do that, for you are nothing like Lydia, she is out of control," she shyly chuckled.

"Now, that's better, darling," Darcy stated, as he took both ladies arms and led them into the parlour.

—

"I hear you have moved into mother's old room and you have been given use of her sitting room on the second floor. It is about time that part of the wing is used, for it has sat empty for far too long."

"You do not mind that William has given me the rooms?"

"Mind? Of course I do not mind. Lizzy, you are mistress now of this house. William loves you, I could see that the instant I stepped from the carriage, for I have never seen him in such a happy state. Why would he not give you the world, he can afford it," she smiled. "Now, what are you to do with your sitting room?"

"I am making it into a personal library. I know that there is the main library downstairs, but thought I would start a small collection of books, which will be novels and fanciful stories. I will leave the reference books to the main library."

"Oh wonderful, can I also use it for when I wish to read."

"Of course, maybe we should see it as a women's only club and not allow the men in," she grinned. Looking up at her husband, Elizabeth could not help but smile, for she saw such a pout upon her husband's face. _"_ _Oh William, I am sorry,"_ she teased.

" _I should think so too,"_ he huffed in a jovial manner. _"_ _And it is this man who has financed such a club, it will not do."_ The smile upon his face was evidence enough to allow Elizabeth ease in the knowledge that he took her banter, as it was intended.

"So, what else has happened, brother, besides you getting married?"

"I have purchased some land in Hertfordshire and plan on building a house there. I will be selling Darcy House shortly."

"What! You cannot do that!" Georgiana gasped. "William, that is also my home, I was born there."

"But I do not care for London anymore, Hertfordshire is near enough for us to travel."

Georgiana was not happy at this piece of news. "Brother, I know I am younger than you and you are my guardian, but I do not wish for you to sell the property. What will happen when I have my debut? I cannot live in a hotel for months."

"It will not be so bad, we can travel from the cottage when there are functions," he said in defence.

"But there are balls every night, are we to traipse back and forth on a daily basis. No brother, if you sell the house, I will refuse to speak to you," she huffed in such a way that Elizabeth thought Lydia was sitting next to her.

"She has a point, William. Maybe you need to rethink your plans. We can still live in the cottage during the summer months and take the season in London."

Darcy sat down with a sigh. "Are you really that fond of the old place?" he asked Georgiana.

"Would you like me to sell Pemberley from under your nose?"

Darcy reluctantly agreed to a reprieve, "I still may sell it after you are married."

"Maybe, by then I could take it over?" Georgiana grinned.

* * *

 **5th December 1811**

The next few days allowed the new sisters to bond. Darcy watched as the ladies took to walking the grounds and playing duets together on the pianoforte. He could hear their laughter, as they joked and made sport out of whatever came to mind. He was content in the knowledge that the two most precious people in this world to him, had become close friends and companions.

"Now, I must warn you, Georgie, of my sisters… well Lydia to be precise. Although you are of the same age, she is much in need of growing up. She plays jokes and pranks at other people's expense, so be on your guard."

"Oh, I do not like the sound of that," Georgie gasped, "is she likely to play a joke on me?"

"Do not worry, I am sure my father has laid down the law before they set off from Hertfordshire. He was quiet firm with her after she pulled a joke on your brother," she giggled.

"What did she do?" said Georgiana, surprised at someone doing such a thing.

"Oh, he ended up in the wrong bedchambers because she led him to believe his rooms were another's," she said, not wishing to give too many details out to the innocent.

"Oh what happened?"

"Lydia got caught and father refused her to attend the ball later this week."

"Oh dear, do you think your father will go through with not allowing her to the dance?"

"Between you and me, he has no intention of such a cruel act. But Lydia does not know that, so keep that little bit of knowledge to yourself," she said with a conspiratorial wink.

* * *

The time had come when the Bennet and Bingley carriages pulled up outside the house. As the occupants descended, all but Mr Bingley were in shock at the grandeur of the estate. "Dear lord, Mr Bennet!" Mrs Bennet proclaimed, "it is indeed a palace. What a fine estate this is, for I was expecting something slightly grander than Netherfield, but did not expect anything as such."

"Indeed Francis, I have not seen anything like it outside of the Royal residence. I wonder how big the library is? Lizzy said I would be in heaven in there."

"What say you Jane?" Mr Bingley whispered into his wife's ear. "Do you not think it a wonderful sight."

Jane blushed, as she thought about her answer, "It seconds only you… in our bed."

Mr Bingley grinned at her answer, "Well you are in for a treat, as Darcy has confided in me that we have a single set of rooms, which are the best rooms in the guest wing. No-one other than your sister has stayed there in the past five years."

"Oh, the cream rooms, I have heard of those. Lizzy said she slept there when she was here in the summertime."

"Yes, and that is where Darcy got caught by your aunt."

"What?" Jane asked abruptly, for she had no idea of the incident, for Elizabeth had kept that part of her trip to herself.

"Did you not know, darling. Oh, I should not have said anything as Darcy only told me as his tongue was loose one night, after a drinking challenge."

"So was Lizzy compromised?" she whispered as the family were being greeted by the Darcys.

"No, not fully, but I will discuss that with you later," he stated as they were invited into the house.

* * *

As the day drew on, the residents all ensconced to their bedchambers to make ready for the evening dinner. Darcy had instructed Mrs Reynolds that beef was to be served, as he knew Mr Bennet was partial to a bit of meat, but Mrs Bennet had refused him his favourite meal since returning from Bath. As they all sat around the table, Elizabeth could see that Lydia was not her usual spritely self. "Lydia, are you not well?" she asked.

"I am fine," she pouted. Elizabeth new that her sister was still under the impression that she would remain upstairs the following day. "Father, do you not think it is time?"

With a smirk and a nod, Mr Bennet put down his cutlery and turned to his youngest daughter's direction. "Lydia, I think you have suffered long enough. Your mother packed a new gown for you to wear at the ball tomorrow. So long as you behave yourself throughout, I cannot see why you should not attend to the end. But, and this is not to be ignored, if you as so much as misbehave, you will be straight up those stairs." Lydia's expression said it all, her pout turned into a grin and she rediscovered her appetite and quickly started to eat what had been put on her plate.

* * *

 **6th December 1811**

"You look so beautiful, Lizzy," Darcy whispered in her ear, as she finished readying herself for the ball in her dressing room.

"You look very handsome also, my love. The cream brocade of your waistcoat and cravat certainly make you look dashing."

As he moved behind her, he gazed into the full length mirror that Elizabeth was standing in front of. His chin resting upon her shoulder and his cheek against her head. His hands were about her waist and as they watched each other's reflection, one of Darcy's hands wandered down her body. Elizabeth thought he was going to touch her… there, but his fingers came to a rest upon her belly. His eyes were pleading with hers, urging her to tell him her secret, for he knew that she was keeping something from him. "Please Lizzy," he begged.

She turned in his arms and smiled sweetly, but cocked her brow, "Please what?" she feigned ignorance on his question.

"You are very well aware of what I wish to know, please Lizzy," he begged again.

"Well, I was not going to say anything until I was definitely sure, but I think we need to make the nursery ready for the summertime," she smiled.

Darcy let out a deep sigh and pulled her into his embrace, "God! I did not think I could love you anymore than I already do."

"I seem to remember you wishing to wait a year," she giggled.

"Did I? I cannot remember that," he grinned into her hair as he held her to him. "I thought you may be, due to the lack of the cravat on the bedpost and well… the obvious too. It has not been since our time in London. Then I noticed slight changes in your body last month."

"What sort of changes, I have not noticed anything."

Darcy laughed, "That is because I pay particular attention to your bosoms, my dear. You seem to have swelled slightly."

"I did not notice, but come to think of it, they do spill out more over my stays now," she smiled.

"I want you to take it easy tonight, Lizzy. Do not over exert yourself trying to dance every dance. I wish to claim the first dance and the waltz."

"Any excuse to be close to me," she jested.

"Of course, you do not think I arranged the waltz for your parents' benefit. I see they are still in their second honeymoon."

"Yes, thank god they are in the guest wing and we do not have to listen to them."

"Or they us."

* * *

The Ball was attended by many, several faces Elizabeth did not know, but Darcy insisted that they were neighbouring gentry and that it would be good for her to become acquainted with the ladies. Those of the guests that Elizabeth knew, were her own family, the Bingleys, Hursts and Wickhams. She had met Lord and Lady Matlock the previous month, when they visited on their way to Matlock Manor.

Darcy had hired a full chamber orchestra to everyone's delight. He could not possibly have any fewer musicians, for it would seem only a half attempt to fill the imposing room with music. Most of the guests were busy with the third dance, and Elizabeth could not help but smile at her husband, knowing that the next was the waltz and she would be in his arms.

"Oh look at Kitty, she has persuaded the earl to take to the dance floor. How on earth did she do that?" Charlotte asked, knowing that the earl tended to sit and watch the youngsters enjoy themselves. But the young Bennet daughter had persuaded him to partake in La Boulangere. As they formed a large circle, the Darcys and Charlotte watched in amusement as the earl tried to keep up with the dance. However, his advancing years would see him tread on at least two sets of toes, but the earl, in his happiness did not notice.

"I am sure Kitty was on a mission when she approached him, I am not sure she is still pleased with her dance partner," Darcy laughed at his uncle's faux pas.

"She should not have asked, it will serve her right if she has flat toes at the end of it. It is not proper that she should be the one to request a dance," Elizabeth chastised, "I will need to speak to her later."

"Leave her be, Lizzy. It is a private ball after all, and I am sure no-one knows she was the one to request the privilege... Besides, my uncle, even if a bit slow to move, is enjoying himself immensely and aunt is happy to see him in such a merry mood."

"So, Mr Darcy, are you preparing yourself for our waltz?" Elizabeth asked as she eyed her husband.

His expression turned decidedly smug, as he responded. "Of course, why do you think I insisted on the dance in the first place. I am sure it will shock a few people, but it is all the rage this year, in London."

"Have you danced this in public before William?" Elizabeth asked, hoping it was not the case and she would be the first."

"No, only with Richard earlier this year, in the parlour. He has two left feet like his father," Darcy said, wincing as he watched the earl come to blows with another gentleman, for he had gone the wrong way.

"Charlotte, you need to fetch George, before he gets into conversation with Reverend Dalton," Elizabeth said, as she spied the parson in deep discussions with the clergyman from Darley Dale.

"Oh yes, if they start discussing the rights and wrongs of whatever comes to mind, I will never get them apart. They cannot agree on anything, I am sure George sees it as a sport," she stated as she rushed to her husband's side.

"How are you feeling, Lizzy? Not too tired, I hope?" Darcy asked softly in her ear.

"I am fine William, do not fret. I will not break or faint from exhaustion."

"I am sure you will not, you have your mother's constitution. I cannot believe she has danced all three dances with your father. They do seem happy."

"I hope we will be as they are when we are older. I feel the knowledge of both myself and Jane now married, has eased my mother's nerves. She seems so carefree now."

As the dance concluded, Darcy knew that it would not be long before the next was upon them. As Mr Bennet took a moment to calm his beating heart, he summoned his unmarried daughters to his side. "You are not to dance the next dance, girls. Your mother and I will not have you waltz with strangers."

"Oh father!" Lydia whined as she stamped her foot, but stopped when she saw her father's reaction.

"I do not care to dance, papa," Mary stated and went to take a seat beside the earl.

"I do not care either, for my feet hurt," Kitty stated and went to sit the other side of the earl, who was now happy with two young ladies enveloping him.

"Papa?" Lydia beamed as she held her hands out.

"Dear girl, I am too tired to dance anymore. Dance with your mother, I am sure it will not be frowned upon to stand up with your own mother. Lydia looked at Mrs Bennet and she nodded. "Francis, make sure you are the man and lead her around, I am not sure she knows the steps."

Lydia snorted her reaction, "Of course I know the steps!"

Darcy took his wife and led her to the floor, he had been waiting for two hours for this dance to start, and could think of nothing better than to hold her in his arms, for everyone to see. But as soon as they started to move, the door to the vestibule opened and a loud thunderous voice was heard above the orchestra, making the conductor stop the music. "Where is Mr Darcy? Where is my nephew!" came a shout from the corner of the room.

As everyone stopped due to the music quietening, they all looked at Darcy. "Dear god! Why did she have to do this!" Darcy snarled through his gritted teeth.

"William, is that Lady Catherine de Bourgh?"

"Yes, it is, I need to get her out of here, I know what this is about," he said, as he walked towards the woman.

Before he got to her, he turned to the conductor and indicated for the music to continue. As it did, the guests saw it only polite to carry on with their enjoyment. "Aunt, can we go to my study, as you can see I am entertaining this evening," he said in a brusque tone.

Elizabeth watched as the lady and her companion followed Mr Darcy outside. "I need to go with him," she said to her father.

"Oh I see Mr Collins is with that woman, I will come with you," Mr Bennet said.

As Elizabeth and Mr Bennet made their way to the study, Mrs Bennet saw what was occurring and stopped to follow, leaving Lydia in the middle of the ballroom. She grabbed the earls hand and dragged him back onto the floor, so that they could finish the waltz, to everyone's shock.

* * *

Darcy was now in the study with his aunt and her parson. Before he could say anything, Elizabeth and the Bennets came into the room. Darcy did not wish for them to be there, but knew that Elizabeth would refuse to leave, and her parents were welcome to stay for his wife's support.

"I take it that is Mrs Darcy?" the elderly relative voiced.

"Yes aunt, this is Mrs Darcy, _my wife of choice,_ " he said with an air of annoyance.

"I was hoping that the claims made by my parson were false, but I can see that is not the case," she paused on thinking her next step. "And your father did not give his permission at the time?"

"No, but my brother did," Mr Bennet stated with concern, for he knew where this string of questions was leading.

Lady Catherine's eyes lit up, for she now found her weapon. "So you married a minor without permission?" she asked cocking her brow. Mr Bennet spied Mr Collins reaction to this, such a smug arrogant man, taking delight in what was occurring around him.

"Aunt, do not even think of such a thing. I have a letter from Mr Bennet giving Mr Gardiner full guardianship over Elizabeth at the time. 'Everything' includes permission to marry, does it not?"

"I doubt that Mr Bennet would have realised that his daughter would have been compromised and force you into wedlock. Such a woman to now be mistress of this estate, it will not do!" she commanded.

"Aunt, you have said enough!" Darcy shouted, "Elizabeth and I love each other, there was no entrapment! There is nothing you can do, the marriage was conducted in the proper manner with all the paperwork in place."

"We shall see, I will be to London by morning to see what can be done, surely an annulment would not be difficult."

"That is preposterous! We are already expecting our first child in the summer, you cannot put us through this stress for nothing, as you know there will be no result which will please you!" he cried out in anger. Mrs Bennet gasped at this last piece of information and grabbed Elizabeth's hands, whispering in her ear as the argument continued around her, "I knew you could do it before the end of the year. Well done, Lizzy."

Lady Catherine had to sit down on that piece of news, "She is with child‽ Are you sure it is yours?" At this Mr Collins snickered, causing Mrs Bennet to come forward.

"I do not know why you are so pleased with yourself, Mr Collins, you are nothing but an upturned nincompoop!"

"Yes, that may very well be the case, madam. But at least _this upturned nincompoop_ will be inheriting your home before long, and you will be thrown into the hedgerows," he stated with his nose in the air. Mr Bennet was not happy with the fact that he was thought as being on his last legs, but was brought out of his thoughts by his wife's next confession.

"Do not be so hasty, Mr Collins, for I am still of childbearing age… In fact… Mr Bennet," she said turning to her husband, "I also have an announcement," she said as she placed both hands on her own belly.

"Francis, can it be? You are also with child?" Mr Bennet said with tears in his eyes.

She nodded her confirmation, "And I am sure it is a boy this time!" she added bitterly in Mr Collins direction.


	25. Pemberley Ball - Part 2

**A/N**

Will it be a boy? ;) possibly, possibly not, maybe I should pull out the petals of a daisy to decide.

 **Lily Draco -** I think a third party can apply for annulment (although not sure if they can in those days) if someone acts on behalf, like a parent or guardian in the case of minors or mental impairment. Having said that, I have only read up on it where I can find regency info and it is scarce.

 **Avanell -** the anxiety with Lizzy stems from the delay in not meeting her sooner.

 **LMFG, WayTooEasilyObsessed and guest -** yes, the house stays put, thank you for your input and making me see my errors :)

* * *

As Mr Collins fidgeted whilst quietly trying to absorb the possible impact of what Mrs Bennet had said, the earl made his presence known by abruptly opening the door to the study. "What is all this, Catherine?" he shouted with as much force as his sister had done on entering the ballroom. "You can be heard in the vestibule, with your pointless threats."

"Brother, this has nothing to do with you. Please refrain from taking charge and interfering where it is not needed," she stated boldly.

"Surely, you do not think there is any foundation to your threats? You cannot apply for annulment, you do not have the right as you are neither parent or legal guardian, and if you are trying to nullify the marriage on the grounds of Mrs Darcy being a minor, then you will need to act on behalf of a woman, who would have become the age of one and twenty before it reaches court, and I assure you that no-one will back you up on your cause. The Bishop will throw the case out and if your attempt to interfere becomes public knowledge, then all involved, including yourself, will be scorned by society."

"What do you mean, scorned?" she snorted.

"Do not play the innocent, Catherine, you know full well what I mean. You cannot see this as some sort of revenge on Mrs Darcy. It will affect everyone connected with the couple, including your daughter… Fitzwilliam has told you over and over again that he would not marry Anne. Why can you not comprehend that the match was never to be."

"But, it was his mother's and my wish-"

"Catherine! Be quiet!" the earl shouted, holding his hand up to halt her. "I will not have anymore of this utter nonsense. As head of this family, I forbid you to take this matter any further. Leave this house and go home and give your daughter the attention she deserves. Give her a season in town, so she can make her own choice of a husband. Let her see some of London, rather than be cooped up in that monstrosity of a house you call Rosings. Take her to Brighton for sea air or Bath for the waters. Do not wallow in self pity because not everyone is beckoning to your call, at every opportunity to make you spuriously happy," he said as he looked daggers at Mr Collins, who seemed to have shrunk down somewhat into a smaller version of his already meagre form.

Lady Catherine de Bourgh was now quietened. Had she decided upon her actions in haste? In her maddening hour, she neglected to think about any repercussions her claim would have made, and only on the fact that her nephew would be free to marry her daughter, finally. She silently withdrew from the small crowd that had formed in the middle of the room and retreated back to the door, with Mr Collins scampering behind her like a irritating toad that he was.

The party watched as they left the room and as soon as the study door had closed behind them, everyone let out a deep breath. "Darcy, get the brandy out, there's a good chap," the earl stated as he sat down on one of the chairs situated beside the fire.

"I second that, your Lordship," stated Mr Bennet.

"Call me Walter, everyone in the family does," he smiled as he took the large glass full of his favourite tipple from Elizabeth. "I cannot have you call me _your Lordship_ as we are all now family, plus I have just been dancing with two of your pretty daughters, who both took delight in calling me by my given name. The little one is rather sweet, like a china doll, you could pick her up and put her in your pocket.

"Lydia?" Mr Bennet asked.

"Yes, Lydia. She is very spritely, spun me round until I was in a tizzy with that waltz Darcy insisted upon." he grinned.

Outside in the study, Lady Matlock was waiting with Jane and Mr Bingley. They had seen Lady Catherine de Bourgh leave with her eager disciple scuttling behind her and when she had left by the front entrance, those in the vestibule made their way into the study.

"Oh! Lizzy, William, we heard it all from outside. What a ghastly thing to say," Jane said.

"I doubt she will be bothering us again. She can also find herself a decent steward who can handle all of her estate matters, as I will not be overseeing Rosings any longer," Darcy said as he calmed down. "You ladies go back to the ball, I think us gentlemen will have a brandy or two before we return."

As the ladies left, Darcy voiced his concerns, "Uncle, are you sure we have heard the last of this?"

"Yes, your aunt will not go against me, I saw that look she had, one that indicated her submission to me. My sister may be cantankerous with most people, including yourself, but she will not disobey me as she knows and respects my authority."

"I hope so, because if she does go ahead and it is successful, I will just marry Elizabeth again," he sighed, "It will not do though, as the damage would have been done to everyone's reputation and our unborn will not be seen as legitimate."

"Do not think on it, Darcy, she will not do anything and if she does try, the court will laugh at her attempts. It has nothing to do with her… Now, where is that brandy decanter?" he smiled.

The men returned to the ball within fifteen minutes and the remainder of the evening went without any further episodes. However, both Lydia and Kitty were rather tipsy on the arrack punch by the end of the evening and were playing merry by the time their mother dragged them up the stairs to bed. After the final guest left, the men returned to Darcy's study for a late night tipple, before retiring. The earl, however, had other plans and urged Mr Bingley into yet another drinking contest. By the time it was three in the morning, all the men staggered up the stairs, to their designated bedchambers.

As Darcy entered his rooms, he saw Elizabeth asleep in his bed. He grinned in a self satisfying way, knowing that he would wake her up for his comforts.

Quickly stripping out of his clothes, and nearly falling over in the process of hopping around, as he tried to dislodge the breeches from his ankles, Darcy clambered into bed. "Lizzy, wake up!" he commanded as he shook her shoulders.

"What?" murmured Elizabeth, "William, it is late, get some sleep."

"No, I need you," he slurred his plea as he kissed the dip in her neck and so making her giggle. "Please Lizzy."

"You are drunk," she laughed, now awake enough to see that her husband was in a rather intoxicated state.

"I am, but that does not mean I want my wife any less, it still works… see!" he said as he bucked his hips into her side.

On feeling his hardened appendage, Elizabeth twisted herself to lean over him. Darcy had sunken back onto his pillows in anticipation of her caresses, for he did not mind at all that she had taken charge, for he was too inebriated to do anything about it.

She kissed his jaw, making him sigh in appreciation of her soft lips and tender touch. She, with a tediously slow pace, moved her way down his throat and to his chest, but as she reached his nipple, she heard a soft snore. Gazing up, she could see that he had fallen to sleep, his body purring as he succumb to repose. She settled back down to return to her own slumber, as she snuggled into his warmth.

* * *

 **7th December 1811**

Elizabeth opened her eyes slowly as she tried to focus on her husband, who had taken to watching her sleep. Propped up on his elbow, he had full advantage of a perfect view of his wife's body. His free hand was resting upon her belly, where he made circles with is fingers. "Do you realise you are more beautiful now than when I married you?" he cooed.

"I do not see why, I am the same person and must look a frightful state at the moment."

"You are not the same person, he said gazing down at the place where their baby lay. You are more now, allurring… delightful… exquisite… shall I go on?"

"And I was not these things when you married me?" she teased, cocking her brow to indicate her banter.

"Oh, you were those things, but so much more now, I cannot resist you," he said as he came in to nibble on her ear.

"You did not think so last night, for you fell to sleep on me."

"Did I‽"he replied shocked at this fact, "I cannot remember that and to be truthful, I cannot remember getting into bed," he frowned.

"You woke me up by shaking me, then wished to make love. Then when I was getting warmed up, you fell to sleep and started to snore," she laughed.

"Oh how very ungentlemanly of me," he chuckled, "Maybe I should make it up to you, dear wife." He bend forward and wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him, where their lips met and tongues danced. The fact that he tasted of stale liquor did not bother Elizabeth, for she was already craving his attentions.

His hand wandered down to her quim and the tips of his fingers played with her pearl, now fully swollen and wet with her desires. "Turn over, darling, I wish to take you from behind," he insisted with a breathy whisper.

Elizabeth turned so that her husband could spoon her from behind. His arm had now become entrapped by her body and the mattress, but it was still free enough to recommence his fingering of her folds. She felt his knee come between her thighs and so enticing her legs slightly apart, her thigh resting on his as he pushed his now rock solid cock into her core.

Her head fell back onto her husband's chest, allowing him access to the dip in her neck. There he lavished his affections on her as he bit, kissed and licked his way from her ear to her cheek. Her groans were not muted, her hunger demanded a verbal release, which pushed Darcy into a frenzy and his pace quickened as he felt her tighten around him. As he moved within her, allowing his cock to rub up against the front wall to his heaven, he felt a gush of moisture cover him. "Dear god, Lizzy, you are so wet!" he cried out as he came undone. Elizabeth had also reached her pinnacle of passion and had joined her husband in spiralling into euphoria and beyond.

At the critical moment, Lydia decided to barge her way into the room, as her mother had made demands. "Lizzy, can you tell mama not to-" she voiced, but suddenly stopped when she realised that not only was her sister and brother-in-law in bed together, but they were in the throws of passion, under the brocade counterpane. Luckily for all, Lydia did not see body parts, but could determine the movements as clear as if there were no bedding. She screamed and ran out the room, slamming the door behind her.

"Shit!" Darcy exclaimed through gritted teeth, he could not stop his actions until he had completed his final thrust and filled his wife. Neither moved for some time and calming down, they both had realised that in the events of the previous evening, the door had not been locked. "Sorry, Lizzy, I did not secure the door when I came to bed in my drunken state."

"Well, I suppose now Lydia will not be in need of a talk when she eventually marries," she giggled.

"You are not ashamed?"

"Why should I be? I was making love to _my_ husband in _my_ bed. Lydia, on the other hand, should be embarrassed for her actions of coming into a married woman's bedchambers before knocking. I will go and see her, to make sure she is not too distressed," she said as she sat up and therefore breaking their embrace, to Darcy's chagrin.

As she rose, she felt the trickle of her husband's spendings seep from her body, she took the corner of the sheet and proceeded to wipe herself of his seed. "We do not need this at the moment," she grinned.

"No, but it is fun depositing it into such a fine vessel," he laughed.

Elizabeth, now dressed in her nightgown and robe, reached Lydia's room within a minute. She heard the faint sound of her sister's cries and upon knocking, she entered the room, where she found her sister curled up on the bed, rocking herself as she wept.

"Lydia, do not upset yourself," she said trying to calm the distraught youngster.

"Sorry Lizzy," she blubbered, "I should have knocked, or better still I should have waited until you came downstairs."

"I know you should of, but I suppose on reflection, you are… were ignorant to what goes on in a married couple's bedchambers."

"Was he making love to you? You both seemed to be in pain, crying out like that," she shyly asked.

"We were, but it was not painful, quite the opposite, actually," she smiled. "Lydia, I do not wish to discuss the marital bed with you, that is for mother to do, when you wed. All I will say is that the whole business is very pleasing to both the husband and wife, even if it does not look it. The desires are so profound that you think you are going to die of pleasure… It is, however, a very private matter, and should have been done behind locked doors, which we failed to do, as William was so drunk last night that he forgot to turn the key."

"I do not know if I wish to marry, if that is what I am to expect, pleasurable or not."

"Do not say that. Until you come to love a man, you will not appreciate the feelings and desires that will manifest in you. It makes all the difference… Now dry those eyes and get ready for breakfast. We all need one of mother's milk and egg drinks, I think," she smiled.

"How am I to look William in the face again, after seeing him, like… THAT!" Lydia fretted.

"He will not react negatively, I will make sure of that. Come, you need to ready yourself for the day."

* * *

All the residents of Pemberley sat around the breakfast table. the Matlocks, Gardiners, Bennet's, Bingleys and Darcy's all gazing at the miracle cure in a glass, sitting in front of them. "Mother, do we have to?" Kitty asked, looking at the concoction before her.

"Yes, if you wish to partake in arrack punch to the extreme, then you have to counteract it with this. Now on the count of three, everyone," Mrs Bennet said, looking around the table.

"Ha! Now I see where you got it from?" Darcy laughed, in Elizabeth's direction.

"Of course. Where else, but mother. _Although two and a half is not included in her count down._ "

The communal sound of discontentment resonated about the room, as all gulped down the mixture. "Hell, that is disgusting!" the earl proclaimed.

"It works wonders though, Walter, my mother swore by it," Lady Matlock stated.

"You never told me, Cecelia. Why have you always let me get over it in my own way?"

"You did not ask," she laughed, "Besides, if I had put that in front of you, would you have given it a chance? No I did not think so," she said on seeing her husband shake his head in disgust.

By the time breakfast was over, all those sitting around the table felt better in themselves. Even Lydia, who was rather quiet at the start of the meal, was becoming rather energised and vocal by the end. She did not, however, gaze upon her brother-in-law, for fear of turning crimson.

The day was full of activities, in the morning they would all be able to sit and watch a Punch and Judy show. A puppeteer was commissioned from the streets of Chesterfield and for the price of three times his usual daily income and food in his belly, the artist agreed to come to Pemberley to perform his show. The men were initially not keen, stating it was for the ladies, but it was not long before the whole party were laughing. Even Darcy let some of the servants stand at the back of the room and watch.

As the show began, the curtains to the small stage opened and Lydia let out a yelp on seeing Punch, "What a big nose he has," she giggled, but when the puppeteer made a noise with his swazzle, she cried out her shock at such a funny sound. "Whatever!" she proclaimed, but was hushed up by her mother.

As the show concluded, the puppeteer came around and held out his cap, to collect his fare. As Elizabeth had paid the man handsomely already, she gave each of the guests a penny to place into the hat, as to not break with tradition.

The afternoon was spent with the men hunting and the ladies spent the time in the music room,where both Mary and Georgiana played duets. However, by four in the afternoon, Lydia had proclaimed that it had started to snow. "Look mama! It is snowing. Do you think we can go out in it when it has settled?"

"You will catch a chill, child. Whatever do you want to go outside for, it's far too cold."

"Mother, I have a fur cape she may borrow, if she wishes to go outside, although I do draw the line at playing snowballs. I do not wish for the cape to be ruined, as it was a present from William."

"Say yes, please mama!" Lydia begged.

"I suppose it will not hurt, but you cannot go alone. Maybe your father will venture out with you, when he comes back." At this Lydia pouted, hoping that Kitty would have been allowed to accompany her.

As the snow started to cover the ground, the men had to return to the house. "We cannot see anything to shoot out there, it is turning into a snowstorm," Darcy stated to everyone. As he came to Elizabeth's side, he whispered, "Is she still trying to pretend I am not here?"

"I think so, Lydia was very vocal before you came in and has now gone ever so quiet again."

"Ah! I think this now calls for drastic action," Darcy stated as he put his plan into action.

Walking over to the quiet one in the room, who was sitting by herself, he bent down behind her and whispered into her ear, "You cannot ignore me forever, you will have to acknowledge my presence sooner or later." But Lydia could not respond, for she just froze, not knowing what to do or say. As no response came, Darcy, who was still holding the rabbits he had shot during the hunt, held them out and dangled the animals in front of the youngster's face, in order to gain a reaction. "William, don't do that, that isn't very nice!" she chastised as she jumped up from her seat.

"No, but I got what I wanted," he smirked, as he witnessed Lydia's pout of annoyance. "Glad you have come back to us, Lydia, I have missed you," he laughed as he walked back to his wife.

"That was evil of you," Elizabeth whispered.

"I know, but what else could I do. I had to shock her into a reaction, if it weren't that then what else? I cannot sit down with her to explain, for that would have been embarrassing for the pair of us. So as pranks is her forte, I thought I would play one on her… Now, I have to get these to the kitchen and then change," he said as he held up his catch.

Elizabeth watched as her husband left the room, then looked over to Lydia, who shrugged her shoulders, in defiance. "He only meant well," she said as she came to sit down beside her youngest sister.

"I know, I suppose it worked," Lydia sighed. "Do you think the snow will stop so we can go out in it today?"

* * *

The snow fell for the remainder of the day and the family, who wished to go out in the whiteness of the grounds, were able to the following day and for many days after, as the blanket remained on the ground for the full month, only being topped up during the night and some days with a new layer of fallen snow.

By the time it was for the families to depart and return to the south, the snow had melted and the sun had made an appearance. Although it was still cold, the brightness of the sun had made the world a more colourful place, as the landscape had been considerably muted for the previous month.

"The house will seem quiet without everyone here," Elizabeth sighed as she stood beside her husband, waving the guests goodbye.

"Yes, but it wont be for long," he said, as he patted her belly. "It will not be long before we have our house full again, Mrs Darcy."


	26. In Mr Darcy's Absence

**A/N**

 **Yes, Lady C has well and truly been put in her place. Silly woman! Maybe Mr Collins' stupidity is rubbing off on her.**

 **OK Baby number 1 is here in this chapter and happy faces all around :D :D :D**

* * *

 **30th May 1812**

Do you think we will reach the cottage today?" Elizabeth asked as she looked out of the carriage, not recognising the scenery.

"I believe so, but we have never travelled this route and at such a slow pace. It is a much smoother road, but longer in distance. The staff will be expecting us before sundown," Darcy smiled as he rubbed his wife's swollen belly.

"It is indeed longer this way, for it has taken us more than a week to get here. Although our hours on the road are rather short, which I am very grateful for.

"It is good that we moved the staff from Darcy House to Meadows Cottage, it seems silly having two sets of staff for houses we rarely go to. Hopefully the movements back and forth do not make any of them leave our service, as I have become rather attached to some of them," she sighed.

Darcy took her into his arms and held her close. With the movement of the carriage, both fell into a much needed sleep, for neither had got much rest the past week, due to having slept in bedchambers they were not used to.

A few hours later, they both woke to the jolt of the carriage stopping. "We are here," Darcy grinned as he peered out of the window. "Close your eyes Lizzy, I want to walk you to the front of the cottage, before you see it.

As Darcy guided his wife to the front of the house, he realised that they were standing in the meadows. Luckily, the workers who built the cottage were able to leave the wilderness that surrounded the house in an untouched state. The flowers were just beginning to bloom, giving a wonderful fragrance to the air, a smell that reminded him of first setting eyes on his wife. "Open," he whispered in her ear.

As Elizabeth opened her eyes, she saw in front of her, not a cottage, but a small mansion. "William! It is so big, I thought it would be a quaint little cottage, with a thatched roof, this is a palace," she beamed.

"It was going to be as big as Longbourn, but I ended up altering the plans at the last minute and added four more bedchambers. I was thinking of the future with your mother, any unmarried sisters, our brood and any other families who cared to stay at the same time. So hopefully fourteen rooms is adequate," he laughed.

"I am sure it will be, can we go in?"

"Yes, but I wish to carry you over the threshold, like I did in London after we married," he said as he bent down to pick her up in his arms.

"You cannot, I am twice the woman I was then, you will break your back," she giggled as her feet left the ground.

"Nonsense!" he huffed. The sound of strain was evident in his voice, made Elizabeth laugh. "Maybe just to the vestibule and not beyond."

On entering the parlour, she could see that the house was not decorated as Pemberley was, but was very light and airy, giving an outdoor feel to the rooms. Light coverings adorned the walls and cream fabrics covered the windows and furniture. "It looks so tranquil and peaceful. It will be a delight to live here, William. You have done such a wonderful job."

"I think the workers and the designer I employed did a good job, I just mentioned a colour scheme and the designer chose everything."

"Well done to him," she smiled.

"Her, you mean," Darcy corrected, "for it was Jane," he grinned.

"You asked Jane to do all the interior rooms? When did all this happen?"

"I asked Bingley at Christmas if he would allow it, then he mentioned it to Jane. By the time they left in January, she had a list of ideas that I had agreed to. Since then we have been corresponding."

"But I have not seen any letters from Jane? Oh, they were sent with Charles's letters."

"Yes, sorry to have kept it from you, but I wished for it to be a surprise," he said taking her into his arms.

At that moment, the Bingleys enter the cottage, "Lizzy? William? Are you here?" Jane called out.

"Oh sister, Charles, it is so wonderful to see you," Elizabeth said as she pulled away from Darcy and waddled over to the Bingleys.

"My! Lizzy you have grown so big!" she gasped.

"I know, six weeks and counting down. Thank you Jane for your help with the cottage, for should I say mansion," she chuckled.

"I loved doing it, I have now persuaded Charles to buy Netherfield and we will do the same with the house. I want to lighten all the rooms and make it ours."

"So Mr Haversham will sell the estate to you?"

"Yes, he wants rid of it, as he isn't getting any younger and with no children to leave it to, he accepted my first offer. I got it for a song," he grinned.

"So you plan to stay long term? What joy, for we will see each other in the summer months often, for I miss you so."

"I miss you too, Lizzy, we shall be such a merry bunch when we are all here. We can have garden parties in the meadow. William had a very splendid veranda built to the side of the house, near the new pond."

"Pond! I forgot about the water. Let us hope I do not drown you in it, one night," she smirked at Darcy.

"What do you mean?" Jane asked. Elizabeth then took time to explain her husband's reaction on first seeing her, not so many yards away from where they were standing. "Over there, that is the spot, right where the garden benches have been placed. I assume that their position was intentional?"

"Of course it was intentional, to be able to sit on the very spot I first fell in love with you, means a great deal," he said as he kissed her cheek.

After taking tea, the party took a walk to Longbourn. It was only a mile, which Elizabeth was able to do but at a much slower pace. On entering the house, Lizzy shouted out to her father. However, her mother appeared from the parlour, "Oh Lizzy, it is so good you are here," she said as she tried to hug her daughter, but as both women were of a very pregnant state, neither could manage more than a peck on the cheek.

"Mother, when did you quicken? You are so big!" Elizabeth asked, eyeing her bump.

"At the beginning of February, but remember, I knew what to expect, so recognised the flutterings before you would have. Your father did not feel the baby move until well into March. So how are you coping?"

"I am fine, mama. Maybe getting a little tired now that my stomach has expanded so. I am finding it difficult to get comfortable and I cannot see my feet!"

"Oh yes, you get to a point where you just want the baby in your arms and not in your belly," Mrs Bennet laughed. "I am sure I will get to that point soon. Although, I think some of my weight will not go as I seem to have eaten rather a lot of cake in the past two months."

As the Darcys and Bingleys settled into comfortable conversation in the Longbourn parlour, the younger sisters and Mr Bennet came in through the front door. "Do we have visitors?" Lydia cried out. As Kitty rushed ahead into the parlour, she cried out her joy on seeing the new arrivals. "Lizzy, William, you came at last. My! You are enormous!"

"I know, I feel like a dumplin," she smirked.

"Oh dumplins," Mrs Bennet sighed, "I think I need to ask cook to make some for the stew for later."

"Mother, you are terrible, you will pop at the rate you are going," Lydia said, "and you told me off for eating too much last year."

"Yes, but you didn't have a baby growing in your belly, they need the food too," Mrs Bennet said, trying to make excuses for her very healthy appetite.

As the night drew on, Darcy made it obvious that he wished to take his leave. He knew that Elizabeth would be exhausted from the trip and he could see she was fighting her imminent sleep. "Darling, you are so tired that if we stay any longer, I will have to carry you to the carriage."

"Yes, I think it is only fair we leave now, for your back cannot take carrying me twice in a day," she laughed.

As they reached the cottage, they made their way to the bedchambers and with little effort, Darcy helped his wife out of her clothes and carried her to bed. "Sleep Lizzy, I will not bother you tonight, other than to hold you in my arms," but his words fell on deaf ears as she was already asleep. Darcy lay down next to her and bent down and kissed her forehead, then he moved down her body and kissed her belly, "Good night, little one."

* * *

 **1st July 1812 - Darcy House, London**

"Darcy!" Richard cried out, as he walked into the vestibule on hearing his cousin enter.

"Richard? What are you doing here?" Darcy replied, shocked to see his cousin return from Scotland.

"I came back last week. I hope you do not mind, but I sort of took up residence here. Father is not back from Matlock and I did not wish to sleep there, in case he showed up in the middle of the night and demand I leave without giving me a chance."

"Chance for what?" Darcy said, cautiously.

"To tell him that I am a new man. I am changed, Darcy. I saw my ways and the man I had turned into pretty quickly, the mentor at the commune made me realise that.

"I concluded that the army played a big part in how I had become, first it was the odd group visit to the brothels, then the men would buy the whores from the same brothels to hold debauchery parties in rented rooms." Richard said, shaking his head in disbelief as to how his life had evolved.

"Debauchery parties? You mean you held orgies? Dear god Richard! I thought you were bad enough, but that!" Darcy shouted. "I hope for your sake you have not caught anything."

"No, I got checked by a very discreet physician before I left for Scotland. He gave me a clean bill of health. Thank god for sheaths!"

"So where is Elizabeth? Did she not come with you?"

"No, she is too far along with child for travelling. The baby is due in a fortnight's time."

"Oh congratulations, I was not aware she was with child. You will make a great father! Part of the therapy was that I did not contact anyone during the time, so nobody told me. I was instructed to write to everyone before I left, that is when I sent you that note to tell you where I was going. Then nothing until I was cured, for a better word."

"So is that it? Are you cured?"

"Yes, I do not have the same urges. I do intend to go back though, as I wish to help out at the commune. I need to talk to father regarding this, as I will have to give up my commission in the army, so will need to have his blessing and maybe a small increase in my allowance, although I will not need that much more as commune life is very basic. I will have to pay them some money for food and lodgings though."

At that point, Mr Bennet banged on the front door. Before the butler had time to announce Mr Bennet, the old man barged in. "Darcy! You have to come home quick, Lizzy has gone into labour!"

* * *

"Push Lizzy!" Jane cried as she held her sister's hand."

" _I am, what do you think I am doing, taking it easy and having a cup of tea in the process!"_ she growled as the next pain hit her. "Where the hell is William, he should be here! I need him!"

"Father left for London three hours ago, they wont be back for a few hours."

"He should not have left me in the cottage, why did he go to town today… of all days," she cried.

"Lizzy, you are two weeks early, he did not anticipate you having the baby today, for surely he would not have gone. They will be back soon."

"But it will be too late, the baby would have been born and I wanted him here, as it took its first breath. He said he would be with me."

"Well… you have me with you, luckily you chose to come to the cottage for the spring and summer months, or you would be having your housekeeper keeping you company."

"But then William would be with me, for he rarely goes far when we are in the country," she pouted, but the expression was wiped from her face as a stinging pain stabbed her womanhood.

"Mrs Darcy, you need to pant please, this is a very crucial part of labour," the midwife advised.

"Ah! Why does it feel different, god this is so painful? _If William wants me to have five more children, he better carry and deliver them himself!_ _"_ she shouted, but started to pant after she had aired her grievance.

"That's it, pant for me. The head is pushing its way through, wont be long now," the midwife explained.

Within an hour, Kitty, who had taken to waiting outside in the private sitting room, heard the faint cries of a baby. Jane came out with the bundle and brought her to her sister. "Oh the baby is so precious, so tiny. How is Lizzy?"

"She is well, exhausted, but the birth went well. It is only a shame William did not make it back in time."

"Can I go in and see her?" Kitty asked.

"Wait a while, they are making her comfortable and cleaning the room up. I did not realise how messy it can get."

"Oh dear, I do not think I wish to hear that," Kitty cringed.

The midwife came out into the sitting room and advised the sisters that they could go back into the room. As Jane entered, she immediately handed Elizabeth her baby, who instinctively pulled down her gown and started to feed it. Jane did not mind, but Kitty blushed so. "Do not be embarrassed, sister, it is a natural part of life, these are meant for feeding the baby."

"Although husbands do tend to have their share of them too," Jane laughed, but realised that Kitty was in the room, blushing an even deeper crimson than before.

"So, Lizzy have you thought of a name?" Kitty asked, in an attempt to change the subject.

"Not yet, I will leave that decision to William. I am sure he has a boy's and girl's name already in his thoughts, " she said.

"I do not even know the sex of the baby," Kitty pouted, but this made Jane laugh. "Jane, you took delight in not telling me, you did that on purpose!"

"No, I think it only fair that William is the first to know these things. It is his child after all," Jane stated.

As they were bickering about who should know first, Darcy burst into the house. "Lizzy!" he cried out. Then when he realised she was in their rooms, he ran up the stairs, taking two steps at a time and nearly falling onto his face as he turned the corner. He abruptly opened the door and flew into the room, like a madman running from the men with the straitjackets. "Lizzy!" he cried out again, as he saw her hold the baby in her arms. Jane and Kitty discretely left the room, the midwife had already left and was sorting out her things in the parlour.

He walked slowly towards her and the baby. "You have already had it," he said quietly, his tears were beginning to escape his eyes and could be seen wet upon his cheeks.

"It?" Elizabeth said in jest, "Do you not mean _her_?" Darcy smiled, for he wished secretly that the baby would be a girl. All the time Elizabeth had longed for a boy, an heir for her husband, Darcy was wishing for a girl, a little replica of his wife. "I am sorry I could not give you a boy."

"Sweetheart, you do not know what this means to me, I wanted a girl, I just did not say," he grinned. "Can I hold her?"

Elizabeth was eager to give her daughter over to the safety of her husband. "I am glad you are not angry."

"Why would I be angry. Remember Pemberley does not have an entailment like Longbourn."

"We need to think of a name, do you have any in mind?"

"I have been thinking about that, what about Penelope? Penny for short by family only."

"Penelope Darcy?…Why Penelope?" Elizabeth asked, startled at the unusual name.

"Penelope was the daughter of Icarius and the Nymph, Periboea," he grinned.

"Well, I suppose it could be worse, you could have named her Potamide," she smirked.

Darcy stood and walked around the room, talking to his daughter in a timid voice as he held her in his arms. Hushing her to sleep each time she stirred. "Do you mind if I sit next to you… on the bed? She may sense you are not near."

"No, I do not mind, only do not cuddle up to me, I am rather sore."

"Sore? Oh darling, was it that awful?" he asked.

"All I can say, it was like passing a melon. My fanny will take some time to recover," she laughed.

"Don't!" Darcy chastised as he held his hands over the baby's ears.

Elizabeth chuckled, "She cannot understand, she is only a few hours old."

Darcy smiled at the stupidity of it all. Then he remembered something. "Oh, I saw Richard in town. He returned from Scotland a week ago and is staying at Darcy House. He took it upon himself to stay there until uncle returned from Matlock."

"How is he? Has he changed his attitude?"

"He is so different. You would not think him the same man. He seem serene now. We were discussing the commune, when your father arrived. He said he will be giving up his commission and returning to Scotland to help out, I think he feels safe there with no distractions."

"That is good news and when he is fully recovered, he can visit us and meet this little one. _You want to see your great cousin, don_ _'_ _t you Penny-poo. Think of all the horsey rides he will give you,_ " she smiled as she cooed to her daughter.

"I hope you will not put that voice on all the time, Lizzy."

"What voice? You mean the same voice _you_ made earlier?"

"No I did not," he said, trying to hide the grin appearing on his face, however, Elizabeth noticed the twitch of his lips.


	27. Special Delivery at Longbourn

**A/N**

Thanks to the guest for the info on annulments, I did think there were more reasons, (eg marry whilst a minor without permission and mental impairment, but those are probably nowadays) Will take note if needed again in the future.

Now to the Bennets!

* * *

 **8th July 1812 - 1 week later**

"Lizzy, let me take Penny from you. I think you are in need of a nap, you did not sleep well last night," Darcy said as he saw his wife yawn again.

She was lying on the settee, whilst the baby was in a cot beside her. Her attempts to watch over her were to no avail, as Darcy witnessed on several occasions, that her eyes drifted shut, only to fly open again within a second or two. "I must admit that I am exhausted. What with the little one's feedings," she yawned.

"Why do you not let Mrs Jenkins feed the baby, she is here for that purpose, not just as her nanny. I know you feel close to Penny when you feed her, but you have to think about your own well-being. Let Mrs Jenkins at least feed her at night, so you can get a good night's sleep."

"I will, it is just… I love it when she feeds from me. I feel like a proper mother."

Darcy came and sat down beside Elizabeth. Taking her hand in his, he played with the ring on her finger. "You are a wonderful mother, darling. Do not even think you are not, because you allow Penny to feed from the wet nurse. I doubt she will have a preference, I assume it all tastes the same," he smirked.

"William! Do not tell me you wish to taste it to find out!" Elizabeth gasped, but this quickly turned into laughter, for her husband blushed pink from the tips of his ears to the skin beneath his neck-cloth. "You do, don't you."

"No… Yes, well not now, of course not now. It would seem rather rude of me to, considering it is for our daughter," he stammered. "If you are still producing when you recommence your wifely duties, then maybe I may have a little taste… Just to see what it is like, mind you… It will be in the call of scientific study."

" _Oh, scientific study? You writing up some sort of thesis on the subject,"_ she teased.

"I should not have said anything. Darling, please forget what I said, it was a silly idea!" he huffed as he could not deal with the mortification anymore.

Elizabeth leaned forward to kiss her husband, hoping it would ease his discomfort. As she did, there was a rap on the door. Gladstone entered the parlour with a rather breathless Kitty. "Mother has gone into labour! Father is in a tizzy because none of us know what we are doing, except Jane, who knows a little. The midwife is out on another call, Lizzy, you must come! You have been through it!" she exclaimed.

"But she is not well enough, Kitty it is rather unfair for her to attend when she only had a baby a week ago, herself," Darcy stated, not happy at the request.

Elizabeth, however, had already got up off the settee and made her way upstairs to change. Darcy sighed his annoyance, but knew that he would not talk her out of it, for she had already said she would help if it was needed, but that was when she expected at least a fortnight's gap between the two births. As she descended the stairs, she turned to Darcy, "Are you coming too, I think you will need to keep father company, whilst we are in with mother."

"Lizzy, you are exhausted, you need to rest."

"I am well enough now, the excitement has brought back my liveliness," Elizabeth replied.

"And what about Penny?" he asked.

"You just told me to relinquish her more into the care of Mrs Jenkins, so I am. She can take care of her until our return. Now are you coming?" Darcy relented and accompanied the ladies back to Longbourn, where he would sit with Mr Bennet.

As they entered the vestibule, Mrs Bennet's wailing could be heard as clear as if she were in the same room. "Good god, is that normal?" Darcy voiced, not realising that ladies could make so much noise.

"Yes, I was pretty much the same. _Shame you were not there to cringe on every cry I made,_ _"_ she laughed.

"Don't worry Lizzy, I will be there for you in the future, I will not leave your side for a full month before it is due."

As Elizabeth made her way to her mother's room, Darcy went to the parlour to see how Mr Bennet was."

"Darcy, thank god you are here, I do hate this part of becoming a father, not knowing what is going on up there and listening to Francis like that. She was like this on all the others, although Jane was slightly worse, being the first and not knowing what to expect."

"I did not realise how bad their cries are," Darcy said, cringing at the screams from above.

Mr Bennet got up and closed the door to the parlour, so that the noise was little more than a muffled sound. "I feel guilty for having made her with child again. I thought she was past child bearing age and she has already given me five children… You do realise you played your part in all this?" Mr Bennet chuckled.

"How so?" Darcy frowned.

" ' _I wish to kiss your fanny?'_ I think the term was," he laughed, but Darcy sunk his head into his hands, for the degradation was too much to deal with. "Since that night, she has had me in her rooms each and every night. God! it is like our honeymoon all over again. But after this one, we will have to abstain once more. I cannot put Francis through this again, she did not fare well during her pregnancy this time around, being that much older. I just hope they are both all right."

"I am sure they will be, she is very experienced in this, being her sixth child," Darcy stated in hopes to ease his father-in-law's nerves.

At that moment, Kitty ran down and grabbed the clean sheets from the kitchen, put the pot of water on the stove and made her way back upstairs. However, Mr Bennet on hearing this came out and asked what was happening. "Everything is fine, papa, do not worry, we just need more sheets and I just put another pot of water on to boil," she said as she ran up the stairs, but as she reached the top, she stopped and shouted down, "If the midwife comes, send her straight up, papa!"

"Oh the pain, the pain!" cried Mrs Bennet, I cannot remember it being as bad as this. Lizzy, give me my smelling salts, that's a girl!"

"I cannot mama, we do not know what affect it will have on the baby. Wait until the midwife gets here, she will know."

"What stuff and nonsense, now give me my salts!" she screamed.

"You might as well give them to her, Lizzy, it may calm her down a bit," Jane said.

"Jane, was I like this?" Elizabeth asked, not believing that she could have turned into some sort of monster, like her mother.

"You were worse, you were very snappy. If William had been there, he would have been so ashamed of what came out of your mouth," she laughed.

Two hours later, the midwife arrived and was sent straight up to the mistresses bedchambers. "Now Mrs Bennet, it seems you have been in labour for a while, do you remember what time your first pain was and when your waters broke?"

"Who cares when that was! Get this thing out of me, now!," she cried, giving the impression she would not be able to cope for much longer.

"Mama, you need patience," Elizabeth soothed.

"It has only been four hours, first pain was about four hours ago, then the waters broke about an hour after that," Jane advised the midwife.

"Yes, that is all well and good, but I had Lydia in three hours, surely I should be able to pop this one out in two?" Mrs Bennet interrupted, hoping that her declaration to the midwife would also be heard by the baby and so make it hurry up."

"It does not always work that way, Mrs Bennet," the midwife smiled.

Two hours later and Mr Bennet and Darcy heard the faint cries of a baby, the squire breathed a deep sigh of relief. "Thank god that is over," he said. But before he could turn his heels towards the door, Mrs Bennet let out another scream. "What on earth?" he shouted in surprise.

Kitty rushed down the stairs and met her father at the bottom step, "We need more hot water and a piece of ribbon!"

"What the hell is happening?" Mr Bennet asked, confused at the recommencement of his wife's cries.

"Sorry, papa, I cannot stop," Kitty said as she rushed back up the stairs.

The wailing continued for another several minutes, until another set of cries was heard. "Good lord! She has had twins!" Mr Bennet cried out in shock. Now pacing the room once more, he could not help but wonder if his wife was well. _To go through labour and give birth to one, at her age, must have taken the energy from the woman, but two_ _‽_ he thought.

After half an hour, the midwife took her leave and Elizabeth came into the parlour. "Father, you can go up now," she smiled.

Mr Bennet did not wait, he sprinted up the stairs as if he was a twenty year old. Opening the door, he saw his wife laying in bed holding a bundle in each arm. Kitty and Jane removed themselves from the room to give their parents some time alone, grinning as they left.

"So, Mrs Bennet?" Mr Bennet asked in anticipation.

Mrs Bennet's smile could not be any wider, "Two boys!" she cried out, before she started to weep. "Finally! You have your heir and a spare for good measure," she started to chuckle between her sobs. "The midwife tied a bit of ribbon around the first born, as they are much alike. She checked the… erm… well… she determined they are identical. We will have to keep it on him until we are well accustomed to the small differences they will have, or we will muddle them up."

Mr Bennet came and sat down on the edge of the bed, "I love you Francis, you have been a wonderful wife… _most of the time,_ " he chuckled. "I promise I will never tease you again."

"Oh I do not mind the teasing, it has been a rather enjoyable pasttime these past two decades, although I know a much better one now," she smirked.

"We will have to be careful from now on, dear. I will purchase some of those sheath things, or maybe withdraw. Only until you know you cannot have anymore children, I think seven is quite enough."

"We shall see, Thomas," she smiled. "But first, we have to think of names. I did think about a boys name, but not two, What about Saul, it means 'The Child We Asked For' and as we have been praying to god for so many years, I feel he has finally answered us."

"And the second can be Samuel," he smiled. So we have Masters Saul and Samuel Bennet." The pride upon both Mr and Mrs Bennets faces could not be mistaken, at last they had their heir and to hell with the entailment.

* * *

 **15th July 1812**

A week later, Mrs Bennet had taken to sitting downstairs, as she was bored staring at the drapes to her bed. The babies were with their nannies, so Mrs Bennet went to her husband's study. "What are you up to in here, Thomas?"

"I am writing a letter to Mr Collins, to tell him of our good news," he grinned.

"Oh, I would love to see his face when he reads it. Maybe you should invite him here without saying anything, pretend you wish to make amends."

"No! I will not have that whippet back under this roof, he has no right to the place now and I am taking so much pleasure in telling him that in this letter.

Mrs Bennet read the letter and shook her head in disbelief at the words written on the page. "He will surely faint when he sees this."

* * *

 **18th July 1812**

Three days later at the parsonage in Hunsford, Mr Collins was sitting alone at his breakfast table, eating his sliced hard boiled eggs on toast. Having had the letter arrive earlier that morning, he decided to open it whilst he ate his meal. Not recognising the handwriting he quickly opened it and started to read.

.

 _16th July 1812_

 _Longbourn Manor_

 _Hertfordshire_

 _Dear Mr Collins_

 _May you be one of the first to congratulate myself and Mrs Bennet on becoming proud parents of twin boys. Yes, that is right, Mr Collins, TWIN BOYS! Saul and Samuel are both healthy and lively babies, one could not ask for better._

 _Mrs Bennet was so angered with you last December and your misdirected loyalty, that she prayed to god for a boy. Well, god listened and thought upon her request and how things were turning out for our family. Not only did he bless us with one boy, an heir! But two! Two Mr Collins! You know what that means, do you not?_

 _Maybe god is trying to tell you something, sir. Maybe your energy has been engaged in the wrong place for far too long and you have become complacent in life. Your attentions to a woman who does not really care whether you are there or not is not a good way to spend your life, I suggest a wife, Mr Collins, that is of course if you are allowed to under your patronage._

 _Think long and hard about your life now, for you will not be inheriting this estate. I would suggest that you seek another patron, for I fear that her Ladyship will grow tired of you and cast you aside before long. May I suggest a change in your alliance? Stand by her nephew, for he has more to give._

 _Your's sincerely, &c_

 _._

Mr Collins slowly put down the correspondence onto the table and stared at his half eaten breakfast for the longest of times. A life of a clergyman was what he had only envisaged, whilst waiting for Mr Bennet's moment to shuffle off of this mortal coil, but now it seemed he had been trumped by the gentleman. Looking down at his plate, his meal no longer seemed very appetising and he knew that the knowledge of him wasting food would not sit well with his patron.

With a huff, he stood up and readied himself for the brisk walk to Rosings. He was expecting his day to get far worse, for he knew that Lady Catherine would not be best pleased with his news he had to tell.

The End


	28. Epilogue - revised sweet ending

**A/N**

And now for the final chapter.

Thanks to all who have managed to read this story to the end and all the favs/follows, throughout. It is much appreciated.

 **Please note that this epilogue has been shortened, due to some not liking the final part of it.**

 **If you wish to read the remaining few paragraphs, I have added this back by request, but as a final chapter. Be warned though, as it will lead to a bittersweet ending and will be controversial. If you wish for a sweeter ending, then the end of this chapter will give you that.**

* * *

 **16th July 1866**

"Do you regret anything, William?" Elizabeth asked, as they sat on the bench in the meadow at the cottage.

"No, why do you ask?"

"Nothing, just thinking upon how our lives have been. I seem to remember you was contemplating marriage to Miss Caroline Bingley at one point," she giggled.

"Ah! Yes, well… I am glad I did not go down that road, for I would surely have lived a miserable life. It is a good job you were out walking that day."

"Oh you mean five and fifty years ago, to this day," she beamed.

"Oh! It is the sixteenth of July, is it not," he smiled back. "Lord, how time has flown by. I can still remember our first days at Pemberley, before we were wed. I do not know how I resisted you on the eve of our marriage."

"I seem to remember your father popping into your head at the crucial moment."

Darcy wrapped his arms about her shoulders and held her close. "Good job I fell to sleep and your aunt found us, so we could wed immediately, for I am sure I would have pushed father out of my brain eventually and then where would we be?"

"In the same position, I would imagine. I think we were made for each other."

"Unlike myself and Caroline Bingley… Or should I say Lady Stanhope. I did not think she would end up marrying Lord Percy Stanhope. Although, rumour had it that she quickly realised her faux pas on accepting his proposal, when the red marks to her wrists and ankles would not fade enough before morning. Percy, however, happily remedied this with several purchases from the jewellers, she did not want for bracelets, I can assure you."

"She got her title though," she chuckled.

"Indeed, and so did Georgiana. I was surprised that Baron Howard had sought out a private audience with me within two months of her debut, only to ask for permission to marry and take her back to the Highlands, where his castle sat. Dear Georgie did not expect the weather to be so harsh in the winter months, but Phillip's solution seemed to work, for they took up residence at Darcy House for six months of the year, during the worst months.

"The other months it was being used by Charles and Jane, when they wished to partake in the season… Oh, and Richard when he dutifully visited his elderly father, he could never bare to live in his family home. His excuse that our home was more comfortable was a poor attempt at hiding the fact that he did not care for his father's company for too long, as they still had not agreed on Richard's destiny. Living his life at the commune was his salvation, he felt peaceful and happy there, but the earl wished for his return and marry well.

"He would not bow to his father, they never made amends on that score," Darcy sighed, remembering the continual disagreements that he witnessed, but chose sensibly to stay out of them. "Richard came across Rose several years later. She had grown old before her time and the scars upon her face proved a hard life. After the gentlemen in society found out about her history, no man wished to have anything to do with her, she ended up in the same place as her mother, never to return to London."

"Mary, Kitty and Lydia made good matches, we all knew that Mary would marry a man of the cloth, and Kitty a man in a red uniform. However, Lydia's choice of a husband shocked me exceedingly. A Baker, of all people!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

"I think it was the cake that did it."

"Maybe, but you could not mistake the love between them. It took a lot of persuasion on my part to change her opinion of the marital bed, and thus accept his advances. After seeing us in the throws of passion, Lydia was affected far more than she care to admit, until the matter could not be ignored any longer. It took a full week for me to persuade her that she would welcome Mr Gregg's touch with eagerness and in the end she believed me, her notion being that 'why would any wife repeat the act over and over again, if it was not pleasant' _._ "

"Your parents surely agreed with that hypothesis. We both thought that the twins would be the last of their children, but no. Your mother proved a dutiful wife and bore another son, only two years later. I am sure your father burst with pride on the announcement. Three sons and five daughters is not easy for a man to father."

"You say it as though it is the man who goes through all the trials and tribulations of being with child and then giving birth. _Please note that the wife does have a small part to play in the matter, as you well know._ _"_

"You did not fail me on that score, sweetheart. Three of each was my wish and three of each you gave me… Although, little William did make me worry when he was found in one of Penny's dresses," he chuckled.

"You cannot blame him, he was five at the time and curious. Penny did not see the harm in allowing him to dress in her best frock, for she was only six herself and knew no better."

As they gazed back at the house, Darcy remembered something in the settlement papers he had given to his father-in-law. "Your mother never needed this place, Saul could not let her leave Longbourn, even when I mentioned about the cottage, they both were adamant that she remain in her old home."

"But she belonged there, as we do here, darling, unlike Mr Collins," she chuckled.

"Oh Anne was quite vicious in her actions, for as soon as her mother was dead, she threw Mr Collins out of the parsonage, stating that she wished to never see him again. Her disgust on his behaviour towards me was great, for he was the fuel that ignited my aunt's flames that Christmas. Anne knew that we would not marry, we had agreed this on numerous occasions. Little did aunt know that even if I were to offer my hand, Anne would have refused, for she likened me to a brother and could not see me as a husband.

"Aunt died, thinking that she had failed Anne, but little did she know that it was what her daughter had wanted all along. Within a year of her passing, Anne went to London and met Lawrence. Even though he did not come from any significant family, Anne married him all the same and they spent a happy twenty years together, before her heart failed. It is sad they did not have any children, but we knew that would be the case," he sighed.

They sat quietly in the tranquillity of their surroundings, before Elizabeth spotted that her husband was almost asleep beside her. "You are tired, my love, you did not sleep well last night."

"Neither did you, I could tell you were awake as well, Lizzy, did you think I would not hear you?" he said as he kissed the dip in her neck, which sent shivers down her spine.

"Oh William, even in our advanced years, you still know how to discompose me with a single show of affection," she smiled, "Now, I think it is time that we take a nap, before you get me into a tizzy," she said as she stood and held her hands out to help him to his feet.

As they lay down onto the bed, Darcy took her into his arms from where he lay behind her, an embrace that was so natural to them, yet felt like it was the first time he had held her in his arms. He kissed her cheek as his arm wrapped around her waist, holding her tight to him and whilst they both watched the moving sea of meadow flowers rustling in the wind from the full length windows, Darcy bid her a restful sleep. "I hope you have sweet dreams, my darling. I love you with all my heart, I always have and I always will," he breathed affectionately, before they both drifted off into a peaceful sleep.


	29. Epilogue Part 2- Bittersweet Ending

**Warning \- This is the bittersweet ending that was previously removed from the epilogue. By request, I have put this back up in a way that should please both thought camps. If you want a sweet ending, then do not read any further.**

* * *

As they lay down onto the bed, Darcy took her into his arms from where he lay behind her, an embrace that was so natural to them, yet felt like it was the first time he had held her in his arms. He kissed her cheek as his arm wrapped around her waist, holding her tight to him and whilst they both watched the moving sea of meadow flowers rustling in the wind from the full length windows, Darcy bid her a restful sleep. "I hope you have sweet dreams, my darling. I love you with all my heart, I always have and I always will," he breathed affectionately, before they both drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

Elizabeth woke an hour later, she felt the arm upon her was heavy and at that moment she knew. Turning to face her husband of five and fifty years, she gazed up to see his pale, but peaceful face. His distinguished lines that had etched upon his skin during their life together, had now diminished due to his permanent relaxed state. She run her fingers across his cheeks, for they were cold and as she brought her lips up to bid him farewell, she sobbed knowing that it would be the last time she would ever bestow her love upon the man, who had meant everything to her.

She could not hold back any longer, as her quietened sobs turned into cries of grief, as she knew this day would come. The doctor had given Darcy only a few months, for his own heart had weakened to the point that it would finally fail him. She turned to her side of the bed and on opening the draw to the bedside table, she pulled out a large bottle of Laudanum, that had been sat there, in secrecy for the past few months, anticipating that this day would come. Removing the cap with shaking hands, she gulped down the contents in full, and only when every drop had been drunk, did she let the bottle slip from her fingers and onto the floor.

She lay back down beside him and took his hand in hers, only to find the locket that he had been carrying around with him all these years, was fixed firm in his hand. She could see that the Gypsophila that had once held such beauty, was now reduced to fragments of dust, but they both had known that even though the flowers were no more, their love for each other had survived.

Elizabeth edged closer into her husband's side once more, not wishing to lose contact with his still body. As she held his hand to her heart, she drifted off into her own state of peace and before she drew her last breath, she whispered, "The pull between us is still strong, my love, for I know I will be with you soon."


End file.
